


A New Normal

by MissMy80sShows



Series: Season 5 - What Could Have Happened on SMK [2]
Category: Scarecrow and Mrs. King
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-28
Updated: 2018-03-27
Packaged: 2019-03-25 03:42:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 25
Words: 36,466
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13825731
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MissMy80sShows/pseuds/MissMy80sShows
Summary: Takes place immediately after Duty Calls - Lee and Amanda tell their family about their relationship as well as the partial truth about their jobs. How will The Agency and Dr. Smyth react? S5P2





	1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

_Lee and Amanda left the hospital room, Amanda reaching for Lee's hand as they walked down the hall. Outside they stopped at Lee's car, Lee took both of Amanda's hands in his. "What would you like to do now? We can pack up and head back home if you want."_

" _Or, we can spend one more night here just being Mr. and Mrs. Stetson. No interruptions, no work," she said bringing their hands up to her chest._

" _Well then, if that's the case, I just have one thing to do when we get to the hotel," Lee said, grinning._

" _What's that?" Amanda asked, raising her eyebrow in question._

" _I need to call your mother," Lee stated as he grinned like the proverbial Cheshire Cat. Leaning forward he kissed her, slowly._

Amanda's eyebrow rose, "Lee, why do you need to call my mother?" she asked suspiciously.

Lee smiled at her, "Well, if I am going to do this properly, I need to make sure your mother is okay with me asking you to marry me."

Amanda shook her head, "You don't have to do that. I am an adult. I do not need permission from my Mother to make a decision on something we've already done."

Lee stopped smiling. Holding her hands still, he looked at her face, his hazel eyes meeting her dark brown ones. "Amanda. I thought we talked about this. I want your family to think we did it right, which means, I should talk to them about it. I don't want to drop a bomb on them any more than we are. I'd ask your father but, well, that's not possible so your mother is my next option."

Amanda just looked at him and teased "Who would have thought Scarecrow has an old fashioned streak in him."

Lee pulled her close in a hug, chuckling, "I should have done this 6 months ago, not how we did it. Not that I would change our first wedding for anything but..."

Amanda hugged him back, "Tell you what, while you call my mother, I'll do some souvenir shopping. Then we can plan the rest of our day, starting with lunch."

They drove to the hotel, parting ways outside the lobby. Amanda walked down the boardwalk toward a few small shops she had seen on their previous walk. She took her time, wandering from one store to the next, searching for the perfect gifts for her family. For Philip she found a bag of sea salt taffy and a King Neptune T shirt. For her mother, she found a Virginia Beach is for lovers coffee mug. She wandered through several more stores looking for the perfect gift for Jamie. She found it in a little art shop- a book of photographs taken along the beach. She also found information on the Neptune Festival happening in just a few weeks. She thought it would be fun to bring the boys down for that weekend, something they could do as a family. Happy with her purchases, she made her way back to the hotel, hoping Lee was finished with his phone calls.

Lee had checked the front desk for any messages. Finding none, he headed up to their room. He took a deep breath before picking up the phone to call Dotty. He didn't know why he was nervous about this. It wasn't like Dotty hadn't started making comments to Amanda about them getting serious about their relationship. She even gave Amanda a box of condoms to bring for the weekend! But this was Amanda's mother… and bringing their relationship into the light was a new step for them.

Dialing the familiar number, Lee waited, counting the rings. After the 4th one he figured she wasn't home but was surprised when a breathless Dotty answered. "Hello?" she gasped.

"Mrs. West. Dotty. Hi, it's Lee," he said nervously. Silently berating himself, he took a deep breath to try to settle his nerves.

"Lee, hi. Is everything ok? Is Amanda ok? You're not calling to tell me there's been another accident are you? I just talked to her yesterday and she was fine. Babysitting I think she said. Please tell me she's fine..." Dotty rambled.

Lee smiled, "Amanda is perfectly fine. As a matter of fact, she is out buying souvenirs for the boys right now. Our work is almost finished here so we have a little bit of time for ourselves for once."

Dotty sighed heavily, "Oh what a relief. I was afraid you were calling with bad news. Not that you always call for bad news but you know, you just never know. Wait, why are you calling?"

Now it was Lee's turn to sigh. Taking a deep breath, he said, "Dotty, I'm calling with good news. Well, I hope it's good news. You… you know I care for Amanda, right? Her and the boys? And well, if Mr. West was still with us I would have talked to him but since he's not, well, I…" Lee stopped, not sure how to form the words he wanted to say.

"Lee? Are you trying… are you asking…" Dotty was so excited she could barely get the words out herself.

Taking another deep breath, Lee managed to say, "Dotty, I want to ask Amanda to marry me. But only if you will accept me as part of your family."

"I knew it! I knew it! Just a little time alone is all you two would need! I told Amanda!" Dotty was yelling into the phone.

Lee had to hold the receiver away from his ear as he waited for her to calm down. "So I take it that's a yes, you're happy about this?" he asked tentatively.

Dotty began a new excited ramble, "Happy? Lee did you just ask if I was happy? Oh my gosh, I'm ecstatic! OH, this is so wonderful! I've been telling Amanda you were quite the catch and the boys, well, they just love you. I know Philip has almost from the first time he met you and Jamie, well Jamie's been her baby for so long but he's warmed up to you and now I know he really adores you! The boys are going to be so excited…"

"Dotty, about the boys…" Lee tried to interrupt.

Dotty barely heard him, "I can't wait to call over there and tell them. Joe might be a little put off by the whole thing but he's marrying Carrie in just a few weeks so he doesn't have any say in Amanda's life. Lee, I've got to call them…"

"Dotty! About the boys. I thought maybe it would be best if I asked them too. You know, man to man, sort of. I want them to know I value their opinions too and if they're not ready, I don't want to push them," Lee stopped her.

"Lee Stetson, don't you even think that my grandsons wouldn't want you in their lives. I saw them the other day when you were here and let me tell you, Jamie is so excited about making dinner Tuesday night he spent most of the night looking at cookbooks trying to figure out what you could possibly want to teach them. Philip couldn't stop talking about how you told him last week you would take him out on the track in your car and he even said you mentioned something about a self defense course? I guess what I'm trying to tell you, is that you make them happy. You've given them something they've been missing for a long time," Dotty said sternly but lovingly.

"And what is that?" Lee asked sheepishly.

"Someone to look up to other than Amanda and I. I know Joe's their father but he hasn't always acted like one. You've spent time with them, gotten to know each of them and that means so much to them," Dotty explained. She was beginning to get teary eyed thinking of the whole situation. Pulling a tissue from the box, she tapped her eyes before saying, "Do you need Joe's number to call them? I know they're still there, I just got off them phone with them before you called. I was heading to the market when I heard the phone right, I thought it was them calling back for something."

Lee smiled, shaking his head, "Yes, Joe's number would be great."

Dotty rattled off the number easily then said, "Lee, if you can, take pictures for me when you do ask her. I would love to see the look on her face. Does she have any idea?"

Lee laughed, "Not for what I'm planning. I'll do my best on the pictures. And Dotty? Thank you."

"Welcome to the family, Lee!" Dotty sang to him before hanging up the phone. She practically danced across the kitchen as she headed out to the car to finish her errands.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Lee tapped the receiver long enough to hear a new dial tone. "One down, two to go, Scarecrow," he muttered.

Dialing the number Dotty just gave him Lee, again, waited nervously for someone to answer.

"Hello?" Lee heard Carrie's voice on the other end.

"Carrie, hello, this is Lee Stetson. Is Joe around by any chance?" Lee asked. He had only talked to Carrie once before when she and Joe had picked up the boys for dinner and she had seemed uncomfortable.

"Joe? Yes, he's outside with Philip and Jamie washing my car. Do you need him now?" she asked.

"Yes, please, and the boys. I need to talk to them just for a few minutes, I promise. I won't keep them. It sounds like they are enjoying themselves this weekend," Lee tried to make conversation but all he really wanted was to talk to the boys.

"Hang on Mr. Stetson," she started to say.

"Lee, please," he interrupted.

"Huh?" Carrie questioned, confused.

"Please call me Lee, Carrie. Mr. Stetson is too formal," Lee said softly.

"Oh, ok, Lee, let me just get Joe." He could hear her put the phone down, footsteps then her voice calling Joe, Philip and Jamie from the distance. The next thing he heard was thunderous footsteps as if an entire soccer team had plowed into the house.

"Lee? Is everything okay? Is Amanda okay?" Joe picked up the phone, rushing his words, worry thick in his voice.

Shaking his head Lee thought, what is wrong with this family? "No, Joe, Amanda is fine. I just got off the phone with Dotty and I needed to talk to the boys for a few minutes if that's not a problem. I... um... Please don't say anything to them yet but I... I'm going to ask Amanda to marry me and I want to make sure they are going to be fine with the whole thing. After all, it's their life too." Lee explained. He was more nervous talking to Joe than he had been with Dotty. He couldn't remember a time he had felt like this before.

"Lee, that's ... hang on... Boys, can you make sure I turned the water off outside? Please. Just go check there are no kinks in the hoses either. Thanks fellas." Joe waited until the screen door closed before he began talking again. "That's wonderful news. I didn't want to say that in front of them. And you don't have to ask them permission to marry Amanda. You're the adults, you make the decisions."

Lee pursed his lips and tightened his jaw. Joe once again wasn't thinking of the boys. Lee knew he hadn't told the boys until after he proposed to Carrie and they were hurt by that. They hadn't even met her before Joe introduced them after they got engaged. "No, Joe, I want to do this. If they're not ready for it, I want them to know where I stand. They need to know what their mother, what Amanda, means to me. I need them to trust me."

"If you're sure. I don't know how that's gonna go but if you think that's for the best then, I can't stop you. Hey, Fellas, Lee wants to talk to you," Joe called to the boys. Turning back to the phone he asked, "Do you want both on the phone at the same time? I can have one of them pick up the extension in the living room."

"Yeah, if you don't mind, that would be easiest," Lee had to admit it was a good idea. He could tell them both at the same time and not have to repeat himself. He heard the click of the extension being picked up.

"Hi Lee, its Jamie. Is my Mom ok?" Jamie asked into the phone.

"Yeah Lee, is Mom ok? She didn't have another accident did she?" Philip barked into the phone.

"No, no your Mom is fine. She's out shopping right now. Listen I didn't want to do this over the phone but I need to have a man to man chat with you both. Do you think we can do that?" Lee asked, nervously laughing at first but getting serious.

"Sure, what's up?" Philip said nonchalantly.

"Um, yeah, what do you need to talk to us about? We're not in trouble are we? We've been really good for Dad and Carrie," Jamie was now the nervous one.

"Shut up, Wormbrain and let him talk," Philip snapped.

"Philip, what has your mom told you about calling your brother names?" Lee said sternly.

"I'm sorry... but really, what's up?" Philip conceded.

Lee took a deep breath. "Well, you know your mom and I have been seeing each other for a while now and well," Lee began.

"You're not calling to tell us you're breaking up with her are you?" Jamie interrupted him, angry.

"No, no, no, not at all. Just the opposite, I love your mom, more than I've ever loved anyone before and well, I..." Lee tried again.

"You want to marry Mom, don't you?" Philip was smiling, shaking his head, snapping his fingers.

"You want to marry Mom? Lee? Really, for real?" Now Jamie was getting excited.

Hearing their voices, Lee could practically picture their faces. He grinned, his dimples deep, "Yes, Philip and Jamie, yes. I want to marry your mom. BUT only if you guys are all right with that. If you're not ready... I know there are some big changes coming with Joe and Carrie getting married in a few weeks too... if you're not ready..."

"Are you kidding me? Lee, this is AWESOME! You're gonna be our stepdad... wait... that's only if Mom says yes right? Have you even asked her yet?" Philip stopped, his excitement dampened by the thought Amanda might actually say no.

He didn't want to lie but Lee knew this was part of their first step to bringing things into the light with her family. "We've talked about the possibilities of it, but we haven't made it official yet. So I guess no, not yet, but I was thinking about tonight. We finished our work a little earlier than expected so I thought I would ask her tonight if you boys agree."

Philip was doing a little happy dance. "And then you two can celebrate! Good thing you're alone right? If you know what I mean..." Philip said slyly.

"Um, I think I know what you mean but we may need to talk about that when we get back," Lee said stiffly. What did a 14 year old know about intimate relationships anyway?

"Uh-huh. I can't wait to tell the guys from school about this," Philip said.

"Please, don't say anything yet. We don't want to risk anyone finding out before I have a chance to ask your mom. Jamie, you okay. You're awful quiet." Lee got worried for a minute. Maybe Jamie's initial excitement was hiding something.

"I'm fine, more than fine. Lee, can you tell my mom I love her? When you see her?" Jamie asked. He hadn't stopped smiling since Lee said he wanted to marry Amanda.

"I will Jamie, just before I tell her how much I love her," Lee was beginning to feel tears in his eyes. What was it about Jamie that did that to him?

"Don't forget to tell her I love her too," Philip interjected.

"I will. And boys, thank you. You don't know what it means to me that you guys are comfortable with this. We'll see you tomorrow afternoon," Lee said.  "Oh, Jamie, are we still on for shooting the speed boats on the Potomac?" he remembered.

"We can still do that? You'll be home in time?" Jamie couldn't hide the excitement in his voice again.

"I told you we could take pictures; see if we can get those action shots down. Your mom and I aren't on the active schedule for work until Monday morning so no interruptions," Lee said.

"That would be great. And have you decided what we're going to make for dinner on Tuesday?" Jamie was on a roll.

Lee laughed loudly, "Yes, but we're going to talk about that tomorrow as well, ok? How about you and Philip go back to helping your dad wash the cars? Your Mom and I will be home as quickly as we can tomorrow. Behave for Carrie, please."

"We will," Philip and Jamie said in unison, and then they both burst out laughing. "Bye Lee... See you tomorrow," they said, hanging up their respective phones.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Just as Lee hung up the phone, he heard the key in the lock. Amanda walked in, carrying several bags. "Well, how was your conversation with Mother?" she asked.

"With your mother, great. I'm still trying to get my hearing back in one ear," he teased. "I called Philip and Jamie, too."

Amanda's eyes widened, her mouth dropped open slightly. "Oh?"

"Jamie asked me to tell you he loves you. Then Philip said he did too. But I don't believe they love you like I love you, Mrs. Stetson," Lee stood, holding her shoulders gently. He leaned forward to give her a soft, light kiss on her lips.

Amanda pulled him closer, sliding her hands around his waist then up his back. Leaning forward, she kissed him again. "And I love you, too, Mr. Stetson. What else did my boys have to say?"

Lee looked into her deep brown eyes, so filled with curiosity. "Jamie wanted to know what we were making for dinner on Tuesday and if we would still have time to take pictures of the speedboats," he teased knowing what she was really asking.

"Uh huh. And Philip?" Amanda played his game.

"Yeah, Philip and Jamie were helping Joe wash the cars," Lee shrugged his shoulders.

"Really? And you didn't mention anything to them about, oh, asking me to marry you?" Amanda teased right back.

"I may have mentioned something about it. Nothing really," Lee pursed his lips, biting the inside of his cheek to stop himself from laughing.

Amanda leaned back to watch his face. She turned her head from one side to the other, trying to figure out his expression. Finally she asked, "Well?"

Lee couldn't hold back the grin any longer, "Well what?"

"Oohhh, you can be soooo infuriating sometimes! What did the boys say?" She punched him lightly on his shoulder.

"Philip said it was good we were alone so we can celebrate. We may need to have a talk with him about that when we get home," Lee said.

Shaking her head and closing her eyes, Amanda bit her lip. "Philip...What am I going to do with that boy?" Taking a deep breath, she hesitated but asked, "Jamie?"

"Jamie is very very excited." Lee grinned again, dimples deep, just before he pulled her close for a passionate kiss that left her breathless.

They stood, holding each other for a few minutes in comfortable silence, basking in the knowledge that they ad finally told her family a tidbit of what their future was going to hold.

"Amanda, I have to admit, it was easier than I thought it was going to be. Other than Joe…" Lee broke the silence.

"What about Joe?" Amanda stepped back now, eyes narrowing.

"Well, Joe didn't sound too happy I was calling the boys and when I told him why, he told me we were the adults and we didn't need to talk to them about it first," Lee explained.

"Joe said that?" Amanda asked almost incredulously.

Confirming her question with a nod, Lee moved back to take her hands in his. "But, we are not going to let Joe or anyone else ruin our day. The boys are happy, your mother is happy… Are you happy?" Lee squeezed her hands gently.

"Sweetheart, of course I'm happy. Why wouldn't I be? This is what we wanted. We want to be a family, a whole family," Amanda squeezed his hands back.

"Your mother wants us to take pictures when I do propose. I have an idea that should push her romantic side over the edge. BUT that's for later. Did you find anything good when you were shopping?" Lee teased.

Amanda narrowed her eyes at him, but decided to let it go. She released his hands and moved to the bed where she had left the bags. "I did and I found a pamphlet for the Neptune Festival the end of September. I thought maybe we could bring the boys, a mini family vacation."

Lee took the pamphlet from her and skimmed it quickly. "This looks great. Hopefully Billy will give us the weekend off. It is the weekend before … our wedding..." Lee chuckled at the thought.

Amanda smiled but was confused, "What's so funny?"

"I was just thinking Nick Grant better stay the hell away from us because I'm not going to do that again," Lee laughed again.

Amanda shook her head, "Didn't he get extradited back to Turkey?"

"He did, but knowing our luck he'd find his way out again," Lee made a face.

"Well, we will have to make sure Billy knows we are off limits that week. Desk duty only," Amanda declared.

"Amanda, did you just say Desk Duty? You're going to chain me to a desk for a whole week?" Lee couldn't believe it.

"If it means keeping you in one piece and safe and no one screwing up our second wedding, then yes. I don't know how creative we can be a second time around if you get shot again," Amanda reached out to skim her hand across his ribs where he had been injured just days before their first wedding.

"Well then, Desk Duty it is. But I am NOT cleaning the vault again," Lee stated firmly.

"Now we have one more question… when are we going to tell Billy?" Amanda asked.

"I talked to Billy earlier and we have a meeting with him first thing Monday morning," Lee said.

Amanda took a deep breath, "What do you think is going to happen? Do you think Dr. Smyth is going to try to break us up?"

Lee stepped back, out of her embrace. Pacing for a moment, he ran his hands through his hair, and in a frustrated sigh said, "I don't give a damn what Smyth thinks but I will not allow him to separate us. You realize what that means right? We've been down this road before with him."

"I know and he even admitted we were a great team together. If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't have gotten full time agent status. I'm just not sure what the rules are for married agents," Amanda said as she tried to calm him.

"Married agents are one thing. Married partners are a completely different matter. I'm not sure what the Agency will do," Lee admitted. "But you know what, I don't give a damn any more. I'm not going to allow the Agency to run our lives like that. Enough is enough, right? We've paid our dues, in blood even. We need to have our family be a family, not a choice."

"And, Sweetheart, we are not working from now until Monday morning so let's let things go for now. Do you want to get some lunch?" Amanda tried changing the subject, knowing it will fester in Lee's mind all day if she didn't.

Lee could see the tension in Amanda's face and knew he had to let it go for now. "Yeah, lunch sounds good. Any place you want to go in particular?"

"I asked in a few of the shops I was in for recommendations and the Surf Rider was mentioned a few times. It's not far from here, only about 10 minutes one place said. Great seafood," Amanda suggested.

"The Surf Rider it is then. I'll get directions from the front desk. Is there anything else you'd like to do this afternoon?" Lee asked, watching Amanda's face very carefully.

Winking at him, she replied, "I can think of a thing or two."

Lee smiled back, "Oh, so dessert then."

Laughing Amanda said, "Maybe a little afternoon delight, an early celebration."

"Well, then, let's get some lunch!" Lee shuffled her out into the hall, closing the door behind him.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Down in the lobby, Lee handed his keys to Amanda. "I just want to stop at the desk for a minute. I'll meet you outside," he said cryptically.

She narrowed her eyes at him for a second but took his keys and said, "See you outside."

Lee stopped at the front desk to ask for directions to the restaurant and to inquire if the hotel had a photographer on staff. Luck was on his side, the photographer, Sharon White, was just coming across the lobby. The desk clerk summoned her over and introduced them. "I can write those directions down for you, Mr. Stetson, if you'd like," the desk clerk offered.

"Please," Lee answered before turning to the woman before him. "Mrs. White, I'm interested in having some photographs taken later today, as a surprise for my wife. You see, the first time I proposed to her, the circumstances were less than ideal. I would like to do it all over again, in a more worthy setting," Lee explained.

The woman smiled at him. "What a romantic gesture. Are you sure she'll say yes again?" she teased.

Lee laughed, "No, but I'm going to try anyway. I had a few ideas but we are leaving tomorrow morning so it needs to be later today or this evening."

Sharon thought for a moment, "Well, it is short notice but I'm not scheduled for anything today. Do you know where the breakwater is?" Lee shook his head no. She pointed to the right of the parking lot, "It's about a half mile down the beach. What about there around 7 o'clock? Sunset is just after 7:30 and although it looks a little overcast, the sun still creates some beautiful colors that time of night."

Grinning, Lee couldn't help but think how perfect that was. "I just need to pick up a few things that I'd like to give my wife, Amanda, as well. Would it be possible for me to leave those with you, too? Really add to her surprise?"

"Sure, you can have them sent to my office. Does she know about this?" Sharon questioned.

"Sort of, we've talked about it, but it's been nothing more than talk." Lee checked his watch, "My wife is waiting for me in the car. I'll pick up the other items when we get back from lunch. Thank you so much for your help." He shook her hand and retrieved the directions from the desk clerk before walking briskly outside where Amanda was waiting for him, tapping her fingers on the roof of his car.

"Everything all right?" Amanda asked curiously.

"Everything is going to be perfect," Lee answered, grinning again.

"Anything you want to share?" she raised her eyebrows at him, gauging his reaction.

"Not yet, you'll find out soon enough. For now, let's have lunch," Lee teased. Handing her the directions, he climbed inside the car without another word.

Amanda stood there for a moment, trying to figure out what might be up his sleeve but something about the look on his face made her decide to let it go. She climbed in beside him, reaching her hand over to hold his as they drove out of the parking lot toward the restaurant.

The Surf Rider was easy to find, thanks to their directions. The lunch crowd was relatively light so they didn't need to wait long for a table. Their waitress was a bubbly college girl, approximately 20 something with long, dark hair pulled back into a ponytail that swung every time she moved her head. She handed them each menus, took their drink order and bounced away toward the bar.

Typical of every meal they had, they each settled on a house salad and after a short discussion they decided on the Seafood Surf Rider meal to share. The meal consisted of steamed scallops, shrimp and crab with a side of French fries. Scanning the menu, Amanda noticed both raw and steamed oysters.

"What do you think about the raw oysters?" she asked softly. Billy had joked about oysters with Lee when he was working on the Elisa Danton case.

Lee entwined his fingers with hers. He pressed his lips together for just a moment before commenting, "Do you think we really need them?" As Amanda picked her head up from the menu he winked at her.

"Not at all, Sweetheart, I just wasn't sure how hungry you were. You didn't each much for breakfast," she smirked, taking his entrendre in stride.

"Oh, I'm hungry all right, just not for what's on this menu," Lee taunted her quietly so the other patrons around them wouldn't hear him.

Putting the menu down in front of her, Amanda leaned forward, meeting Lee across the table for a quick kiss. With their fingers still entwined, she thought for a moment before saying, "You're going to need your stamina for dessert." She made eye contact, winking back at him.

Lee swallowed hard. He couldn't believe his normally conservative wife was speaking so brazenly outside their bedroom. Normally, he was the one who teased and pushed the limits when they were in public settings but today she was the one in control.

Clearing his throat, he put his menu down, hoping to catch the waitress on her way by. "In that case, we should order," he stated matter of factly. The young waitress delivered their drinks, and after taking their order, bounced away. As usual, they asked for their salads and meal to be brought together.

Lee turned Amanda's hand over in his, tracing her palm with his fingertips. Reflexively, her fingers twitched although the rest of her body was tingling. A light blush spread across her chest and up her neck. "I was thinking later, maybe this evening, we could go for a walk on the beach," Lee suggested, still tracing the faint lines of her hand.

"That sounds like a wonderful way to spend our evening," she whispered, her voice deeper than usual. Amanda was trying to figure out how she was going to get through lunch at the rate things were going.

Lee turned her hand back over, entwining their fingers once more. "I have to say, I'm looking forward to our afternoon. It's funny, even with the interrupted sleep we've had the last few nights with Charlie, I'm not nearly as tired as I thought I would be," Lee said.

"Do you think they'll be okay? Lauren and Charlie, I mean," Amanda's mind wandered to the infant and his mom. She already missed him, holding him. It had only been a few hours but she couldn't help it. Being with Charlie had stirred up that longing Amanda didn't realize she still had until they talked about having a child of their own.

"Yeah, I think they will. I know Harry is going to be sure she is. I wouldn't be surprised if he convinced her to move to DC to be closer," Lee commented.

Amanda sighed, "I hope so. Do you think we could check in on them once in a while? See how they're doing?"

Lee pulled her fingers to his lips, "I don't see why not. After all, this was an unofficial case, well it was until Lauren got kidnapped and Tsipkin drugged her for information. And then there's that little matter of the Coreforce list and the microfiche. But it finding Lauren was unofficial."

Amanda laughed lightly. "How very officially unofficial this whole thing was, but I'm glad they are safe now and Lauren wasn't in real danger. I mean, she was in danger when Tsipkin had her but not really because he really wasn't going to hurt her. And no one else is looking for her because no one else knew anything about it," she said in one breath.

The waitress brought their salads and meal before Lee had a chance to answer. As they ate, they continued to tease each other, occasionally feeding one another a bite here and there, never once letting go of the hands they still had entwined together. As they finished their meal, Lee brought Amanda's hand to his lips. "Ready to head back to the hotel?" he asked quietly.

"I'm ready for dessert if you are, " Amanda teased, winking at him once more.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Lee and Amanda drove back toward their hotel, anticipating their afternoon plan. Lee was watching for the breakwall the hotel photographer had suggested. As he rounded the curve near Rudee Inlet, Lee pointed out the beach line to Amanda. "Let's walk down this way later. We've walked up toward the pier already. Seems this end is less crowded," he suggested.

"That sounds like a good idea, Sweetheart," Amanda replied. "I think the boys will like it here if we can go to that festival. Between the sand sculpting for Philip and the art show for Jamie, there's plenty for them to enjoy."

Lee saw a few teenage girls playing volleyball on the beach and couldn't help comment, "I'm sure Philip will appreciate the sights."

Amanda followed his line of sight, then hit him lightly on the arm. "Lee, he's still my little boy, I can't believe you just suggested that. I mean I know he's getting older but he'll always be…" Amanda began.

"Amanda, he's what, 14? He's definitely not little anymore. And his comment about us having alone time… he knows more than you think he does. He's not thinking just about baseball and skateboards anymore. How many hours does he spend on the phone with girls now?" Lee reminded her.

Amanda sighed, almost sadly, "I know, I know. It's just hard thinking they're growing up."

Lee reached over to take her hand. "Well, maybe I can distract you from thinking about that for a while, Mrs. Stetson," he said as he pulled her knuckles to his lips.

Amanda glanced down, blushing. They had been openly teasing each other all through lunch and she was already anticipating what was to come. Such an innocuous comment wouldn't normally cause her to blush but something about the way he said it… her whole body was tingling.

They parked the car and walked into the lobby, holding hands. Lee stopped just before they got to the elevator, tapping his pocket as if he was looking for something. "Amanda, I left my wallet in the 'Vette. I'll meet you upstairs, I'm just going to run back out to get it," he said as he pushed the up button.

"Are you sure, I can walk back with you? What if you left it at the restaurant?" Amanda offered.

Lee needed to go into the hotel gift shop without her. He said, "No, I know exactly where I put it in the car. I'll be right back. I'll see you upstairs." He kissed her lightly on the lips and backed her into the elevator, pushing the floor button before the doors closed on him.

Amanda sighed. "Why does he always do this to me?" she said to the empty elevator. Once the doors opened on their floor, she decided she was going to surprise him when he got back. She thought for a few minutes as she walked down the hall and had made a decision as she stepped inside their room.

Back down in the lobby, Lee moved to the gift shop. Inside he found a small panda bear wearing a little T shirt that said Virginia Beach with a heart on it. He then found a small bouquet of 6 red roses with baby's breath. Paying for his purchases, he requested the items be sent to the photographer's office. The clerk assured him he would deliver the items immediately. He wrote a quick note to Mrs. White explaining how he would like to use the items and the approximate time they would be leaving to walk the beach. Happy with his plan, Lee stepped into the elevator, hoping Amanda wasn't upset he sent her up alone a few minutes earlier.

Inside their room, Amanda waited, sitting on the edge of the bed. She hoped he would appreciate her attire. She hadn't thought to bring a sexy nightie, opting for no nightgowns at all, unaware they would end up babysitting the first two nights they were there. She had borrowed his T shirt to sleep in although he didn't seem to mind. Now, as she waited, she had donned one of his white button down shirts, mostly unbuttoned, wearing nothing else but the lace panties she knew he loved.

Lee opened the door and stopped in his tracks when he saw what Amanda was wearing. He had never told her but he found a woman in a man's dress shirt one of his biggest turn-ons. He closed the door quickly, crossing the room in just a few long strides. Not giving her time to say a word, he simply gathered her up in his arms, kissing her passionately.

Amanda kissed him back, pulling his shirt from his jeans as she did. She wanted to touch him, feel the heat of his skin under her hands. They separated only long enough for Lee to pull his shirt over his head before he descended upon her lips again. Amanda just whimpered as he ran his hands over her back, cupping her backside in his hands, pulling him closer to her, the evidence of his desire pressing against her.

Her fingers fumbled with his belt, trying to pull it off but failing miserably. She gave up, instead concentrating on releasing his button and zipper so she could push his pants down over his hips. Lee toed his sneakers off, kicking them off to the side easily, as he assaulted her neck and collarbone with light, suckling kisses. Amanda managed to shred him of both his pants and his boxers before he picked her up and placed her on the bed. He stopped long enough to remove his socks before stretching out beside her.

They lay, side by side facing each other, the frantic urgency now subsided. Lee whispered quietly to Amanda, "You are so beautiful," as he grazed his fingertips along her side.

Amanda blinked slowly, biting her bottom lip as she usually did when she was nervous. "I love you," she replied as she ran her hand along his arm to his shoulder. Leaning forward, she kissed him again, beginning their afternoon of slow, sweet lovemaking. Lee left the shirt on Amanda until it finally got in their way, slowly teasing it from her body.

It wasn't until a few hours later when their bodies physical needs were both sated, did they rest, curled around each other's bodies. They dozed lightly for almost an hour when Lee awoke first, energized from the brief nap but also from the knowledge of what he had planned.

Lee checked the time on the alarm clock beside the bed. They had just over an hour before he had told Mrs. White they would be leaving to start walking toward the breakwall. Kissing her temple lightly, he said, "I'm going to shower. You can join me if you want."

Amanda murmured back to him, "You get it started. I'll meet you in there."

"We should put our rings in the box so we don't forget," he hinted, hoping she would follow his lead. Taking his off, he dropped the gold band into the travel case he brought.

Amanda groaned, "Do I have to?"

"Yes, Mrs. Stetson, you should," Lee answered, shaking his head as he padded barefoot into the bathroom to turn on the water. He had barely stepped into the stream of hot water when he felt her slide in behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist.

"Hi," he said, turning to face her.

"Hi yourself, " Amanda answered leaning up to kiss his lips lightly.

"I almost thought you were going to keep napping," Lee teased, stepping back under the hot spray.

"I thought about it but decided I'd rather be closer to you," Amanda replied, reaching for the washcloth and the soap. She lathered up the cloth and began running it over Lee's chest and shoulders, down across his stomach. As she attempted to go further, Lee stopped her, noticing her rings were absent from her finger as he had suggested.

"I'll take care of that otherwise we may never leave here. I'd like to walk the beach at sunset. The desk clerk said there's nothing like it," Lee gently took the cloth from her, turning her body away from him. He lathered it up again and copied her actions, washing Amanda's back, shoulders and arms. He handed her the cloth, "You finish the rest."

Laughing, they finished their joint shower, relinquishing the urge to wash each other. They dressed in silence, stealing glances at each other. Lee dressed in jeans again, a lightweight cotton shirt and his sneakers. Amanda also wore jeans, a light blue button down blouse and her sneakers. Lee checked the clock one last time, trying to hold off as long as he could to allow the photographer time to get set up. It was just about 6:45 when he stood up. He lifted the box containing their rings to carry it to his suitcase to tuck it away. Amanda didn't notice when he lifted her diamond out and tucked it into his pants pocket. He hid the small box amongst the remaining clothes, zipping the case closed.

"Ready to go?" Lee asked, reaching his hand out to hers. Without a word, Amanda joined her hand in his, and together, they made their way outside.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Hand in hand, Amanda and Lee walked together along the sand's edge, their shadows stretching behind them. The warm, afternoon sun was low in the sky, reflecting off the water. The clouds above appeared as if they were on fire, the deep reds and golds of the late day sun streaking through the sky. Along the horizon, a pod of dolphins could be seen leaping and splashing in the water.

They walked in silence, once every few minutes Lee would swing her hand toward his lips, or hold her hand with both of his. He was nervous, though, he wasn't sure why. Asking Amanda to marry him again was more of a formality than anything, the photographer there to document what her family would think was their momentous occasion although they both knew the truth. He had a romantic side to him **,** and during their relationship he had tried to show Amanda, candlelight dinners, tickets to the opera or the ballet, romantic walks along the Potomac . However, planning this orchestrated proposal felt very different to him. It was like he was baring his soul to the woman he loved, once again, handing her his heart on a platter.

As they neared the breakwall, Lee scanned the horizon for Mrs. White but didn't see her even though the beach crowd was light. About 20 yards away, he noticed the first rose, so he knew she was there, somewhere. Following his sightline, he could see the additional roses scattered in a line toward the center of the breakwall where the panda sat in the rocks about halfway down the peninsula. Smiling, he placed his hand in its familiar spot on Amanda's lower back as he guided her toward the first rose.

Amanda smiled as she saw the first rose, lying in the sand, only steps away from the breakwall. She stopped in her tracks, looking at Lee, lovingly. Bending down, he picked up the first one and handed it to her. Amanda took it, giving him a light kiss as she did. Holding hands, Amanda and Lee climbed the few rocks, slightly slippery from the water lightly spraying as the waves crashed around them.

They came across the second rose five yards away from where they crested the rocks. This time, Amanda reached down to pick it up. Looking down the breakwall toward the water's edge, she could see the remaining roses and the panda waiting for them. Smiling, she bit her lip nervously, watching Lee as he quickly moved to the next rose, reaching down to get it. He waited for her to get closer before handing it to her. The wind blew her hair across her face, spraying them both with salt water. Lee brushed her hair aside, kissing her lips gently before moving to the next rose. Each rose they came upon, Lee would repeat the same actions, picking it up, handing it to her, kissing her, until they reached the panda.

Standing on the center of the breakwall, the ocean on either side of them crashing against the rocks, Lee stopped. He still hadn't seen Mrs. White but everything had been in place so he knew she was there. He only hoped she had a good angle for the pictures he wanted to show her family.

Lee wasn't sure exactly what he wanted to say to Amanda. She was the one person in his life he trusted without question. She was his partner, his best friend, his lover and his wife. She was truly his better half. She was everything to him. He stooped to pick up the panda he had purchased earlier for her. Taking a deep breath, he looked around one last time before he started to speak.

"Amanda, I love you. I have for a very long time. I just was never ready to tell you until…" he began.

"I know, sweetheart," she interrupted. Her heart was beating fast. It was deja vu, hearing the words he had spoken to her almost exactly a year ago. Smiling, she took the bear from him, holding his hand in hers as he continued.

"Amanda, you are the best, bravest, smartest most beautiful woman I have ever known," he repeated the same words to her again he had said the first time he proposed.

Amanda blushed, remembering that day, how scared she was they weren't going to make it out of the clutches of Addi Birol and the Kabala. "I love you," she whispered.

Lee wiggled his fingers into the pocket of his jeans until he felt her diamond nestled in the material. Pulling it out slowly, he knelt down on the rocks and taking her hands in his he asked, "Will you marry me… again?"

Amanda looked down into his hazel eyes, so full of love at that moment. She smiled at him, laughed lightly and replied, "Will I marry you?"

Lee laughed back as he nodded.

"Oh yeah, I'll marry you… again," she said laughing.

Lee took her hand in his and quickly stood up hugging her close. He was so excited to hear those words again that he spun her around before planting her feet on the ground. He held her face gently in his hands and kissed her.

Neither of them had noticed the small crowd of people that were watching them until they heard the clapping, hoots, howls and whistling. Turning toward the sound, they could see everyone cheering.

Amanda looked at Lee and said, "We are the luckiest two people on the face of the earth." Lee smiled back, his dimples deeper than ever.

What they hadn't noticed was behind them, a large wave was rolling toward the breakwall. Lee pulled her close to kiss her again, with more energy and love than before, just as the wave hit the wall, soaking them both completely as it cascaded over them.

They looked at each other, dripping wet and Lee couldn't help himself. He threw his hands in the air and yelled "She said yes!"

The small crowd cheered louder, a few running over with towels for them as they made their way back toward the safety of the beach. Thanking their audience, they dried themselves off enough to walk back to the hotel, laughing the entire way.

In the lobby, they got strange looks from other patrons as they walked toward the elevator, still laughing, dripping wet. Lee pushed the button and as the elevator doors opened, he announced, "She said yes!" As the doors closed, they could hear the faint laughter and cheers from the lobby as Lee pulled Amanda into his arms again.

Back in their room, they simply stood holding hands. Lee pulled Amanda close to hug her tightly, bringing her left hand to his chest. Looking down at her ring he said, "Now it's going to stay there, permanently, and in a few weeks, your other ring will be there as well. This is it."

Amanda looked up at him, "This is it. No more secrets," she replied biting her lip once again.

A knock on the door surprised them both. Lee let go of her hand, moving to open it. Outside, Mrs. White stood smiling, holding her camera and pushing a room service cart on which sat a bottle of champagne, two glasses and a small covered tray. "May I come in?" she asked.

Lee smiled, opening the door wider, "Of course, please do."

"You must be Amanda," Mrs. White extended her hand. "That was quite a show you both put on out there. It appears even King Neptune was compelled to bless you both, first with the appearance of the dolphins then by christening you with the waves. I have never seen a spectacle like that in the 22 years I have been a photographer. You are going to have some wonderful photographs to share with your family."

Lee didn't even know how to respond. He was just so happy Mrs. White was able to capture that moment on film. He was at a complete loss for words.

Amanda looked at her for a moment, an eyebrow raised before she turned to Lee. "You… you arranged for a photographer? For us? For this?" she asked, tripping over her words.

Lee just shook his head, still unable to reply.

Mrs. White looked at the two of them, stunned. She had assumed he was going to tell Amanda about the pictures but once Amanda asked, she knew the truth. "I'll print these for you tomorrow to take home with you. Congratulations, again. Have a wonderful evening," she said to the couple as she stepped toward the door.

Lee finally broke his silence, finding the words,"I don't know how to thank you enough for helping set everything up."

"Watching that display, you don't need to thank me. That was the most beautiful scene I've ever had the pleasure of witnessing. Enjoy the rest of your evening," she said as she closed the door behind her.

Lee turned to face Amanda, and simply said, "I love you, Mrs. Stetson."


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Amanda hugged Lee before stepping back and announcing, "We need a shower."

Lee grinned, dimples deep, "Is that an invitation?"

Amanda giggled, taking him by the hand, "I didn't think I had to invite you this time."

They peeled off their wet clothes, between kisses and caresses, the room steaming up from the hot water and their increasingly hot bodies. Under the hot spray, they continued their ministrations, using everything they had learned about each other's bodies to their advantages. Lee had Amanda practically whimpering in need before she turned the tables on him, bringing him to his knees in the small space. Lee surrendered first, begging Amanda to move things to the bed where they would be more comfortable.

They took a few moments to towel dry. Laughing, Lee picked her up and carried her to the bedroom, dropping her unceremoniously upon the bed. He poured two glasses of champagne and brought them to the bed where, after handing Amanda her glass, he stretched out beside her.

"To us, Mrs. Stetson, and our future together as a family," Lee toasted.

"And, to a beautiful proposal even my mother will be happy about," Amanda added.

"You mean she wouldn't have appreciated my first one? Locked in a room, in the clutches of a madman?" Lee teased.

Amanda shook her head, "No, no I don't think Mother would have found that to be a good scenario. Unless of course you had come in on a white horse to rescue me like one of the heroes in her romance novels."

Lee leaned back and looked at her, "A white horse? Really? What kind of novels is she reading?"

Amanda laughed, "Ok, you really want to know? The last one she told me about was an American trapeze artist who fell in love with a Russian scientist who was being chased by the KGB, or something like that."

Lee couldn't respond, he was laughing too hard. Shaking his head, he put the champagne flute down on the table before he spilled it. Taking Amanda's from her hand, he simply said, "Enough silliness." Amanda raised an eyebrow at him before sliding her arms around him to pull him close.

They spent the rest of the evening making love, drinking champagne, eating the strawberries and cream they found under the covered dish, and resting only to wake up and repeat it all over again. They finally succumbed to sleep in the early hours of the morning when their bodies were too sated to continue.

Lee woke just after 8 to the sound of rain on the windows. Amanda was stretched across Lee, her head on his chest, his arms holding her tightly. He was playing with her hair, gently coaxing her awake. "Hey, we need to get moving soon. Checkout is at eleven and we have a long ride home ahead of us," he reminded her.

Amanda turned her head to look at him. He looked so happy at that moment, peaceful, his hazel eyes full of love. "If we can move faster, we can get home faster, even though I don't want to move. I'm very happy right here," she said.

"Me, too, but I did promise Jamie I would take him down to the Potomac and I don't want to start things off by breaking a promise to him. I just hope it's not raining at home," Lee sighed. "But there's always Tuesday…."

Amanda closed her eyes for a moment, "Tuesday, dinner, family night… hey what are you planning to teach the boys anyway?"

Lee pushed up, moving Amanda off him as he did. Groaning at his body's refusal to want to move, he teased, "Wouldn't you like to know?" He got out of bed as quickly as his body would allow, heading toward the bathroom to shower. He closed the door and heard the pillow Amanda threw at him make contact against the door.

He took a short shower, shaved and packed up everything he could before leaving the room for Amanda. She had already packed both their bags, stripped the bed and collapsed the portable crib for room service to remove. Entering the bathroom, Amanda showered quickly as well, simply pulling her hair back in a clip before dressing in jeans and a lightweight shirt for the drive home. Once they were both satisfied they had everything, they made their way to the lobby to check out.

At the front desk, Lee asked if Mrs. White was in her office. The clerk called down and after speaking with her for a few seconds, gave Lee and Amanda directions. When they arrived Mrs. White was closing a 5x7 bound photo book on her desk.

"Mr. Stetson, I'm glad you're still here. I was almost afraid I was going to miss you both," she said. She gestured to the chairs in front of her desk for them to sit down.

Amanda smiled as she sat, saying, "Good morning, Mrs. White. We are just checking out."

"Well, I was just finishing up on your photos. I hope you don't mind, but I took the liberty of printing them for you. Normally I would only print proofs, to allow you to choose the ones you liked the most but when I looked at these… If every photo shoot was this easy," Mrs. White sighed. She handed them the book she was holding. "There is one photo I would like to have blown up and added to my wall if you would give me the permission to do so."

Amanda and Lee turned the pages of the small book, admiring each image. The pictures were beautiful, each one a masterpiece in itself. Mrs. White had captured everything, from the walk to the breakwall, Lee picking up the roses and handing them to Amanda, to their final kiss with the wave cresting and even Lee with his hands in the air with the crowd cheering them on. Amanda couldn't help but get teary eyed as she could see in every picture the love on Lee's face as well as her own.

Lee was amazed at the book Mrs. White had handed them. He wanted something special to show their family and even Billy and Francine but this was beyond his expectations. He stopped when he saw the picture of them on the breakwall just after Amanda had said yes. It was just after he had spun her around, his body angled away from the camera and Amanda's face was mostly hidden by her hair but the wave was frozen above them, the sky ablaze with the sunset and in the distance the dolphins could be seen still. Mrs. White smiled and said, "That's the one. It is a once in a lifetime shot and I'm sure it will never happen again."

Amanda looked at Lee. She knew he was always apprehensive about public photos that could identify him. Looking at the image again, his face was barely seen as was hers. It could have been any two lovers out there. Amanda waited for his response. Lee looked at the image one more time with a meticulous eye and decided, "Do you need us to sign anything? Will this be the only one? The reason I ask is because of our jobs."

Mrs. White nodded, handing them a release form, as she said, "I would love to display the entire book but I understand completely. So just this one. If it makes you feel better I can give you all the negatives and just make a copy of this one. It will only take a few minutes."

Lee and Amanda agreed and a short time later they were in the car heading toward DC with their memory book and a new outlook on their future.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

The ride back to Arlington was uneventful. The traffic was light and the rain in Virginia Beach turned to sunny skies about an hour into their drive north. Lee and Amanda talked about the boys' upcoming week schedule as well as the latest rumor mill at the Agency. Amanda couldn't help but wonder how long before they were going to be part of that. The Steno Pool had been griping around the water cooler about Lee not paying any attention to them in the last few months. Only Lee and Amanda knew the truth as to why.

The closer they got to Arlington, the more nervous Lee was becoming. He knew the boys and Dotty were excited about his proposal but for some reason he was still nervous. Amanda was rattling on about the newest PTO function that was coming up but Lee could barely concentrate on what she was telling him. Amanda sensed it, reaching over to touch his shoulder. "Hey, you okay?" she asked.

"Honestly? I'm nervous. More than I was at Christmas Eve last year," Lee admitted, covering her hand with his. Entwining their fingers together, he brought her fingers to his lips.

"Sweetheart, there's nothing to be nervous about. We've been over this. The boys love you, my mother loves you, I love you," Amanda tried to reassure him.

"I know, I know. I just... I don't know... I just want this to work out, I don't want to screw this up," Lee tried to explain but he was having a hard time putting his feelings into words.

Amanda turned to face him in her seat, "Lee, you're not going to screw this up. WE are not going to screw this up. This is what we both want, remember, our family, complete."

They were close to Amanda's neighborhood but Lee pulled over on the side of the road. He turned to her, pulled her close and kissed her softly. "This is what we both want. So, let's go home, Mrs. Stetson."

They drove the last few minutes in silence, still holding hands. Lee pulled into the driveway behind Amanda's Wrangler instead of leaving his car on the street. Together they got out, leaving their bags in the car for the moment. Amanda reached out to take his hand in hers as they walked into the backyard to enter the house through the back door.

Inside, chaos had ensued. Phillip was yelling at Jamie, "Hey Doofus, maybe next time we want to surprise someone, you can actually watch for them. Mom and Lee are going to be home soon and you're over there reading a book instead of keeping an eye out for them."

Jamie, not to be outdone, yelled back, "Well maybe you should have thought of finding out what time they were coming home instead of trying to impress your new girlfriend. I can't believe you even talked Dad into driving us home at nine o'clock this morning just so you could call her as soon as she got home from church."

Dotty, who was on her way down the stairs carrying a laundry basket, scolded both of them, "And maybe you two could be more helpful by getting your own laundry down here. I may be your grandmother but I'm not your servant. If your mother knew..."

No one had seen Lee and Amanda enter the house so she interrupted, "If I knew what, Mother?"

Dotty screamed, dropping the laundry basket. "Amanda! Lee! When did you get here? Boys, I thought you were watching for them. I knew you were on your way home but how did you get here? I mean I know how you got here but... Oh... you know what I mean," Dotty started.

Lee looked from mother to daughter and began laughing, deep and loud. Phillip and Jamie scrambled from the den and ran into the kitchen trying to figure out what they had missed.

Jamie spoke first, "Did you have a good time this weekend? You didn't have to work too much did you?" he asked.

Phillip elbowed him in the ribs, "They must've had some time not working, Doofus."

Lee stopped laughing and spoke firmly, "Phillip, what have we told you..."

Phillip stopped him throwing his hands up in surrender, "I know, sorry Jamie."

Amanda had bent down to help her mother pick up the laundry basket she had dropped when Dotty spotted her ring. She screamed again, pulling Amanda into a hug without saying a word. She let her go and rushed over to Lee to hug him as well. Amanda, now sitting on the kitchen floor looked at her before realizing why she was so excited. "Mother, boys, I think we need a family meeting, now, in the dining room," she said as she stood, lifting the laundry basket. Lee caught her eye and knew it was now or never. He took the basket from her and dropped it on the washing machine before joining everyone.

Sitting next to Amanda at the table, he took her right hand with his left. He looked from one face to another and seeing nothing but smiles, he started, "Dotty. Jamie. Phillip. I know we've been getting to know each other more and more since your mom and I have started seeing each other and well, I just want to say, I'm looking forward to becoming part of this family. I didn't have a family, really, when I was growing up and well, I know I'm going to make a lot of mistakes but I'm hoping you will all help show me the ropes. I love Amanda and you guys too. I'm just..." He didn't know what else to say.

Amanda pulled her left hand from her lap and put it on the table so the boys and her mother could see her ring clearly. She blushed for a moment and then said, "Lee and I are going to get married. We were thinking something small, not like your dad's wedding to Carrie. We even picked out a date that means a lot to us."

Jamie and Phillip looked at each other, all smiles as Dotty started to cry. Phillip turned to her and said, "Grandma? Why are you crying? Mom's really happy… why aren't you happy?"

"Oh, Phillip, I am happy…. I'm so happy it makes me cry. I mean, I was hoping to help plan a big wedding but if you two would rather have something small and intimate I suppose we could make it work… But how small are we talking here? Does this mean I can't invite the ladies from my bridge club? Oh, that would break their hearts. Amanda, please, tell me I can invite some of my friends," Dotty rambled.

Lee cleared his throat to get her attention. Dotty stopped and looked at him, questioningly. "Dotty, I… um… I need to tell you something else. Something that is going to affect the whole family. It's about my job. And Amanda's too."


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Amanda's eyes widened. She had no idea how Lee was going to explain this to her family. They had only touched upon the subject in the car. Holding her breath, she let him talk.

Lee could feel Amanda's hand tense in his. He knew they had decided to glaze over the truth so he started to speak, "You know we work for IFF and I know Amanda's told you before that IFF works for the government. Well, Amanda and I, we hold unique positions. You see, we work with some intelligence agents who deal in highly classified information, that's why sometimes we have to travel out of the country. When we are working on our…. documentaries… we need to get the classified information to make sure the truth comes out." Lee heard Amanda's shaky exhale so he continued. "So safety is very important for the family. I have to ask you not to talk about our jobs too much. I mean if someone asks where we work, then yes, you can tell them IFF but please don't go into any detail. It could mean someone's life. Someone may connect us to the agents even though we do our best to keep everything under cover."

Amanda shook her head in agreement, "Boys, you understand what that means, right? If Lee and I are away, you can't tell anyone why. You can tell them we are away for work but we can't talk about who we are going to be meeting or what information we may be getting. It's important, fellas."

Jamie bit his lip, then hesitantly asked, "Does this mean your job is dangerous, Mom? Lee? Could you… could you get hurt because of your job?"

Lee nodded, "Sometimes, it can get a little dangerous but we do our best to prevent that. Most of the time, it's not. I don't want you to worry about that. Since your mom and I have started working together, things have gotten much safer. Honestly, if it wasn't for her, I'd probably be hurt much worse in certain situations."

Jamie spoke again, his voice shaking a little, "You mean like what happened to Mom in California?"

Amanda got up and walked around to hug him. "Sweetheart, what happened in California really was an accident. We drove up into the middle of something that had nothing to do with us and I got caught in the crossfire. It could have happened here too. You hear about things like that on the news all the time," Amanda said into his hair.

"So, your job was not the reason you got hurt?" Jamie asked again.

"No, Jamie, our job was not the reason your mom got hurt. I promise you. I do everything I can to keep her safe and she does everything she can for me too. And together, we are going to keep you boys and your grandmother safe," Lee said.

Phillip sat listening and then finally said, "That's pretty cool. Do you know how to fight? I mean like karate and stuff? You did tell me you could take me to a self defense class."

Lee looked at him and answered, "Yes, actually I have a black belt. But that's for another day."

"No way!" Phillip sounded off.

Dotty had been silent since Lee started talking. Lee looked over at her, and her face was pale. "Dotty, are you…" he started asking.

"Mother? What's wrong?" Amanda put her hand on her mother's shoulder.

Dotty looked at Amanda then back to Lee. "Your jobs… IFF… keeping the family safe? Amanda, what have you gotten yourself into?"

"Mother… our jobs…" Amanda started but Dotty interrupted her.

"All those times you came home, your clothes ruined. Dates with strange men that you never saw again. Those… those…. parties you went to….it was all lies, wasn't it?" Dotty was shaking.

"No, Mother, the parties. We really do go to those embassy parties and my clothes have been ruined a few times when we have met with our contacts. And the men I dated, Mother? That was a few years ago and Lee and I have been dating for almost… a year now…. October 3rd… our first real date. One that wasn't work related anyway… and well that's the date we want to get married. I know it's only about 6 weeks away but… Mother? Are you not happy Lee and I are getting married?" Amanda changed the subject quickly hoping her mother would follow.

"No… I mean, yes… Darling… I am thrilled you and Lee are getting married. I've said you've been alone for too long. And October 3rd, really? So soon? And you're sure your jobs… you're not lying to me," Dotty sounded better, her voice not as strained.

"No, Mother, we really do work for IFF. We help make documentaries and yes we have intelligence agent contacts. That's all I can tell you about it, I'm sorry," Amanda answered her as honestly as she felt she could.

"Amanda, did you bring in the book?" Lee asked knowing this could completely distract Dotty.

Amanda looked confused for a moment, "The book? Oohhh, the book. The book Mrs. White from the hotel gave us. No, I left it in the car. Lee, would you mind? Mother, you are going to love this."

Lee went to the car to retrieve the photo book and grabbed Amanda's overnight bag while he was there. Inside the house, he put Amanda's bag on the floor of the laundry room and returned to the dining room where Amanda was seated again across from her mother and the boys. He handed Dotty the book without saying a word, moving to stand behind Amanda. "Jamie, you might be impressed with a few of those shots. If you're interested, we still have time this afternoon to shoot the speedboats on the Potomac," Lee said with a nod toward Jamie.

"We can? We still have time? Mom, is that ok if Lee and I go?" Jamie couldn't hide the excitement in his voice.

"Of course, sweetheart, I think it will be good for you to go," Amanda replied, reaching up and holding Lee's hand resting on her shoulder.

Dotty opened the book and turned the first page. She smiled warmly as she took in the first few pictures of Lee and Amanda walking hand in hand on the beach. She ran her hand over the photo of Lee picking up the first rose. Turning each page, she could see how in love Amanda and Lee were by the looks on their faces. She didn't realize it, but a tear had slipped down her face. When she got to the picture of the wave above them, she covered her mouth with her hand. She immediately got up and walked around the table to hug Amanda and Lee. She didn't have words to describe what she was feeling.

Jamie picked up the book mesmerized by the image. "How did she do that?" he asked.

Lee answered, "I don't know, but I do know I'm glad we get to share it with you."

Jamie turned the page to see the wave crashing on them. Phillip began to laugh, "Did that really happen? Please tell me that really happened. Mom, a wave really crashed on you guys?"

Amanda smiled lovingly at her son, "Look at the next one."

Jamie turned the page again to see the two of them completely soaked with Lee's arms in the air and the crowd of people cheering for them. Now it was his turn to hug them both, along with Dotty. He looked over at Phillip and gestured for him to come over too. Phillip walked around the table and joined them.

Lee was the first one to break the silence, "So October 3rd? No one make plans for that day because we have a wedding to plan."

"October 3rd it is. Amanda, you and I have a lot to do. But let's start with a simple question… how can we celebrate tonight? Dinner?" Dotty asked happily.

Lee looked at everyone and said, "Well if Jamie and I can take off in a few minutes, I can make reservations at Emelio's for 6:30 tonight. That gives us a few hours to take pictures and still get ready for a nice dinner. How does that sound?"

Amanda grinned, "Emelio's sounds like the perfect place for dinner tonight."


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Jamie got the camera Lee was letting him use, along with some extra rolls of film. He checked the bag, making sure everything was in it before telling Lee, "I'm ready. Can we go now?"

Lee smiled at the boy, seeing the excitement in his face. He remembered that Amanda always reminded the boys about the bathroom before they go out, so he asked "Do you need to go to the bathroom? I'm not sure what's around there."

Jamie looked at him for just a second before running up the stairs, the sound of a door closing seconds later. Amanda began to laugh, as did Dotty. Amanda stood, gave Lee a light kiss on his cheek before moving toward the laundry room where the basket was sitting on the washer and her overnight bag on the floor. Dotty followed her, announcing, "Amanda, let me help with that."

Philip looked at Lee for a minute then asked, "Lee, can I head over to Tommy's to shoot some hoops while you're gone? I promise I'll be back in time to shower too."

Lee looked at his watch, then told him, "If you can promise to be back by four, I don't see why not. That will give you plenty of time to shower and your brother too when we get back."

"Thanks, Lee. I'll see you later!" Philip ran through the door, slamming it on the way out.

Jamie trotted down the steps, calling to Lee, "Ready now?"

Lee nodded at Jamie, picking up the camera bag. "Amanda? We're leaving now. Philip is heading to Tommy's to shoot hoops but promised he'll be home by four. I'm going to do my best to get Jamie back around that time too so he can shower before we head out."

"All right, Sweetheart, Mother and I are going to tackle this laundry then see what we can do about coming up with a guest list," Amanda told him. Dotty couldn't help but smile.

"We'll see you in a bit," Lee said as he and Jamie made their way out the door. Amanda heard the car doors close then the car back out of the driveway. She then turned her attention to the laundry in front of her.

She opened the washer and was starting to sort through the basket in front of her when she heard her mother exclaim, "Amanda Jean. I don't know if I should be proud or embarrassed…"

"Mother, what are you…" Amanda started to ask but stopped when she saw what her mother was holding.

" Amanda…. There are only three left in this box… the brand new box I might add that I gave you only four days ago…" Dotty started.

"Mother," Amanda tried to interrupt but a Dotty rant was like a train on the tracks running at full steam.

"I know you're a grown woman with needs and you've let those needs go for far too long. Lee, well, I know I've said it… on a scale of one to ten," Dotty continued.

"Yes, Mother, he's an eleven," Amanda interjected trying to get a word in.

"An eleven, yes, Amanda, he really is a catch. And I'm sure he's very good at what he does… If you used..." Dotty's voice was getting higher.

"Mother! I'm sure you and Captain Kurt..." Amanda joked.

"Amanda. What Captain Kurt and I do is none of your business," Dotty stated.

Taking the condoms Dotty held in her hand, Amanda put them in her pocket. "And what Lee and I did is none of yours."

"Amanda, I'm not saying you have to tell me all the intimate details BUT, can you indulge me on one small tidbit?" Dotty asked, using her hand for emphasis.

"What's that, Mother?" Amanda asked, putting her hand on her hip.

"You and Lee… is he really as good as he looks? I mean sometimes looks can be deceiving but you never know," Dotty tried.

"MOTHER!" Amanda scolded her, blushing.

"Amanda Jean, don't get all Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farms with me. You just spent a weekend with a very handsome man, come home engaged, used… NINE… condoms and you're going to blush?" Dotty stated, putting her hands on her own hips in a standoff.

"All right then, you want to know, I'll tell you. He's better than he looks. And most of those were used yesterday… we were working the other few days. Now, we should get this laundry started so we can make that guest list, Mother. I'd like to shower and change for dinner as well. Emelio's is a nice place, you'll like it there," Amanda managed without laughing at the look on Dotty's face. She filled the washer, started it and walked into the kitchen. "How about coffee while we work on this?" Amanda suggested.

Dotty was still standing in the laundry room, blinking, trying to process what she had just heard. Finally she shook her head, as if clearing the cobwebs in her mind, tossed her hands in the air and said, "Coffee? Coffee sounds good to me."

In the car, Jamie was filling Lee's ear with stories of their weekend with Joe and Carrie. This was the first time Lee could ever remember Jamie talking almost as much as Amanda. He glanced over at the boy, smiling. "Hey, Chief, sounds like you had a great weekend with your dad," he said.

Jamie nodded, "We did. Dad was around almost all weekend. We even had a water fight while we washed the car. It was like he cared about us this weekend."

Lee cringed when he heard Jamie. Amanda never talked bad about Joe around the boys or would allow the boys to speak badly about their father. Lee inhaled, then said, "Jamie, your dad loves you, you know that. He might not have been around a lot when you were younger but that doesn't mean he didn't love you. My uncle wasn't around a lot either but I knew he loved me. He took care of me the only way he knew how."

Jamie sighed, "I know he loves us. He tells us he does, but sometimes, I don't know, it feels like his work is more important than we are. Mom tells us everyday how much she loves us and even though she's working, she still makes sure we know, you know?"

Lee patted Jamie's shoulder. "Your mom does love you, more than anything, which is why I wanted to make sure you and your brother were okay with me asking her to marry me. It means a lot to me. You and Philip mean a lot to me too," he admitted.

Jamie thought for a second, then said, "Lee, does this mean you're going to move in with us? Or will we have to move somewhere else? Not to be rude, but your apartment is too small for all of us to live in…"

Lee laughed, "I wouldn't expect the family to move to my apartment, and as far as moving to a new place, well, I would think that would be a family decision, right? But for now, I guess I'll still live at my apartment until we talk about it, as a family. I don't want to make anyone uncomfortable by moving into your house too soon."

Lee pulled into the parking lot at Algonkian Regional Park. Before getting out of the car, he turned to Jamie and said, "Jamie, I hope you know how much I love your mother, but I don't want to upset you and your brother by moving in if you are not ready for that yet. I'd like to be around more, maybe have dinner each night with everyone when we can, but I know it's a big step."

Jamie smiled at Lee, "I don't know if my mom would like this, but I think you should spend the night at our house. If you and Mom are going to be married, you should be able to be together. My dad and Carrie live together and they're not married yet."

Lee narrowed his eyes in contemplation. Did he really hear what he thought he did? Not wanting to push his luck any further, Lee reached back for the camera bag and said, "Let's see what we can do with these speed boats."


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Lee and Jamie spent almost two hours talking about the speedboats and the best methods to photograph them. With Lee's suggestion, they got a small notepad from Lee's glove box and made notes on what photo number they were on and what settings they changed. Once all his film was depleted, Jamie declared the afternoon a success.

Smiling, they drove back to the house where they found Philip standing in the kitchen with wet hair, Amanda and Dotty washing the few dishes in the sink, and a notepad on the island with a list of names.

"Did you have a good time, Sweetheart?" Amanda asked, drying her hands on the dish towel.

"I did," Jamie and Lee both replied at the same time. They looked at each other and laughed.

"Jamie, you first," Lee said as he put the camera bag down on the island counter.

"Mom, we had a great time. You should have seen all the boats on the water. We experimented with different settings and Lee said he would bring the film to work and have someone named Jim Mackinowski print them for me. He said he can print me a proof sheet?" Jamie looked at Lee to make sure he got the wording right. Lee nodded. "Then I can compare the notes we took with the pictures easier so we can figure out which setting was the best one."

Amanda put her hands on Jamie's shoulders, kissing his forehead, "That sounds like you had a wonderful afternoon. Go on up and shower. You smell like the park."

"Sure, Mom," Jamie replied as he headed for the stairs.

Lee had poured himself a cup of coffee and was just starting to take a sip when Jamie stopped and said, "Hey, Mom, I think Lee should stay here tonight after dinner. You know, spend the night." Jamie continued to run up the steps to take a shower.

Lee spit the coffee out, choking. He didn't expect Jamie to just blurt out his suggestion like he did. Coughing, Lee put the cup down. Amanda immediately turned to him, rubbing his back, "You ok? Just breathe."

When Lee finally caught his breath, Dotty looked at him and said, "Lee, where did that come from?"

Lee replied, "I swallowed wrong." He grabbed a towel to clean up the coffee he spilled.

"No, no, not that. I figured that part out. Jamie. Did he just say he wants you to spend the night?" Dotty questioned him.

Lee became uncomfortable. He knew Dotty could rival any interrogator the Agency had and Lee had no idea where she was going with this. "Jamie mentioned it in the car earlier. He asked about where we would live after Amanda and I got married, if I would move in here or if we would move somewhere new. I told him that would be a family decision and I wouldn't move in here if everyone didn't agree. I don't want anyone to feel uncomfortable," Lee explained.

"And what is the plan… for the living arrangements, that is?" Dotty continued questioning him.

"I don't know, that depends on how everyone feels. Let's talk about this after dinner. Please?" Lee said. Turning to Amanda, he continued, "Amanda, I'm going to run to my apartment, shower and change. I'll be back in about an hour."

"You can use the shower in my room if you want," Amanda suggested.

"I need a change of clothes, too. I'll be back in an hour, I promise," Lee put his hands on her shoulders and kissed her cheek. He started to head toward the back door when he heard Dotty call to him.

"Lee, you better pack another overnight bag. If I know my grandson, you'll never hear the end of it if you don't stay," Dotty said smiling.

Shaking his head, Lee closed the door behind him and headed for his car.

From the den, Philip called out, "Way to go, Grandma! I think you just scared him away."

Amanda pressed her lips together, "Philip, now what is that supposed to mean? Your grandmother was just trying to help."

Philip turned on the couch to face his mother, "I don't think she needs to push Lee into sleeping with you. You already did that."

Amanda drew a sharp breath, "Philip King! I can't believe you just said that."

Philip stopped for a moment before it dawned on him how it sounded. "Mom, no, I'm sorry…. I didn't mean…" he started to apologize. "What I tried to say is Lee should stay tonight so he knows what it would be like if he moved in. He doesn't need Grandma telling him he should stay because Jamie wants him to. You guys are going to get married and well, we know what married people do… and unmarried people do… we heard enough of it with Dad and Carrie all weekend." Philip cringed, remembering hearing his dad and Carrie having sex not so quietly.

Amanda narrowed her eyes at her son. "You mean you… heard…. your father and Carrie…."

Philip nodded, "Well I did… I'm not sure if Jamie did or not... "

"Did you say anything to them?" Amanda asked. She wasn't sure how much damage control she now needed to do.

"Gross, Mom. No. I mean, I know what you told us about what happens so I sort of know what they were doing but it only lasted a few minutes and I didn't want to embarrass Carrie. She has a hard enough time with us as it is. Other than that, we had a great weekend. Next time we go over there, I'm going to bring my headphones," Philip explained.

Amanda pressed her fingertips to her forehead. Secretly she was thinking  _Some things still haven't changed._ "I'll be sure to mention to your father the importance of keeping some things private," she said finally.

"Mom, please, don't tell him I heard him. I don't want him to be mad at me," Philip begged as he climbed off the couch.

Sighing, Amanda hugged her son, "I won't. Don't worry. Now go on up and get some of that homework done I know you haven't finished yet."

As Philip climbed the stairs, Amanda sat on one of the stools in the kitchen, resting her head in her hands. Dotty watched Amanda struggling with her emotions. "Amanda…." she began.

"Mother, what am I going to do? Do I call Joe and tell him his son overheard them or should I just let it go?" Amanda had no idea how to handle the situation. "AND are the boys going to be thinking every time Lee and I are behind closed doors we're…."

"Amanda! You can't think like that. You need to sit down with the boys and explain they may hear things but it's perfectly natural between two loving adults. Do you remember when you walked in on your father and me?" Dotty said, patting Amanda's hand to comfort her.

"Mother! I was… thirteen…" Amanda remembered.

"Yes, thirteen, a year younger than Philip is now, only a year older than Jamie. And do you remember what I told you?" Dotty reminded her.

Amanda smiled, thinking back, "Yes, Mother, I do… you told me to always knock first."

Dotty laughed, "And what else did I tell you?"

Amanda thought for a moment , and then replied, "You told me that what you and Daddy were doing was an expression of your love and it was perfectly natural."

"So, don't you think the boys deserve a similar explanation, Missy?" Dotty reprimanded Amanda.

"You're right, Mother. They do. It's just… they're my boys… my babies…" Amanda said sadly.

"And what if you and Lee decided you want to expand the family?" Dotty hinted.

"Oh Mother, one step at a time, okay?" Amanda hugged Dotty.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Lee drove to his apartment milling over the conversation that had taken place in the kitchen. He and Amanda had talked about him spending the night on Tuesday so what difference should it make if he stayed that night? He didn't want to upset the boys, push things on them too fast but Jamie was the one who had suggested he spend the night.

Showering quickly, he put on the light grey suit he knew Amanda loved and decided to pack a bag, just in case. Going over the pros and cons, Lee decided there were more pros to him spending the night. They had their meeting scheduled with Billy at nine o'clock Monday morning so it would be easier just to leave together from her house in one car, leaving the Wrangler for Dotty if she needed it. He had only a glimpse into what mornings were like in Amanda's house so this would help give him a real idea.

On the ride back to the house, he stopped at a local florist and picked up a bouquet of flowers for Dotty and roses for Amanda. He parked his car in front of her house and headed toward the gate. He stood there for a moment, just looking at the house. Before he and Amanda had gotten married in February, they had talked about buying a house together in Rockville or the surrounding area. Then they made the ridiculous decision to hide their marriage, ending all talks of moving together. Maybe, after dinner tonight, they could finally talk about where they were going to live as a family.

Walking up to the front door, he hesitated, not sure if he should knock or just walk in. He didn't need to decide as Jamie opened the door for him. "Hey Lee, Mom's in the shower now but everyone else is almost ready," Jamie said, smiling.

Together they walked into the kitchen where Dotty was sipping a glass of water. Lee handed her the bouquet he brought for her. Smiling Dotty accepted them saying, "Thank you, Lee, they're beautiful. Let me put them in some water. Amanda should be right down. You're looking very handsome in that suit. Now I definitely know what attracted Amanda in the first place."

Lee blinked hard, trying to figure out where had come from. He was distracted when Amanda walked down the stairs, wearing a pale green dress that accentuated her slim features. "Amanda. You look beautiful." Lee breathed out. He stepped toward her, handing her the roses he brought for her.

"Thank you, Sweetheart. You're wearing my favorite suit. I should put these in water," Amanda kissed him lightly before heading into the kitchen. "Mother, you got flowers too. They're beautiful."

"If everyone is ready to go, I was thinking we could take the Wrangler. We can all fit. Amanda, you can drive, Dotty in the front with you and I'll sit in the back with the boys," Lee suggested.

Dotty shook her head, "Nonsense, you drive and I'll sit in the back with the boys. It will be fine. Oh, I'm so looking forward to dinner. I was talking to Mrs. Johansen and she told me her husband took her there for their anniversary dinner. She highly recommended the chicken marsala and the pasta with meatballs for the boys."

"Well, let's go," Amanda said cheerfully, herding her boys toward the door. She got her keys from her purse and handed them to Lee. "You're driving."

In the car and after Amanda's reminder, "Buckle up, boys" they drove to the restaurant.

Norman spotted them immediately when they walked in. "Lee, Amanda, it's been a while. Who's this you have with you?" he asked.

Lee smiled, guiding Dotty forward. "This is Amanda's mother, Dotty West, and her two sons, Philip and Jamie," he said gesturing toward the boys.

"Nice to meet you all. Brought the whole family I see. You're not going to fit in the booth in the back though," Norman teased.

"No, no we're not. We have a reservation for dinner for all of us," Lee explained.

The hostess approached at that moment and said "Right this way."

They were seated, meals ordered and drinks delivered in no time.

Lee raised his glass of wine and said "A toast. To our first dinner as a family and to many more."

"Here here," Amanda replied. Dotty just smiled and the boys giggled.

Dinner was filled with lots of laughs and comments about how wonderful the food was. They all passed on dessert so after Lee paid the check, they headed back toward Amanda's house. Once inside, Amanda made coffee and scooped ice cream for the boys. Sitting around the dining room table, Dotty was the first to speak.

"Lee, thank you for dinner. It was absolutely delicious," Dotty exclaimed.

"You're welcome. I hope to enjoy more dinners like that," Lee said warmly.

Amanda brought the steaming coffee mugs to the table and sat down, "Boys, we… um… we have some things to talk about. First, I understand you may have… overheard… your father and Carrie… during an… intimate moment….,"Amanda began.

Jamie poked Philip, "You told Mom? Gross. I was hoping to just forget about that."

"I didn't mean to tell her, Stupid, it just kind of slipped out," Philip tried to defend himself.

"Jamie, he didn't mean to tell me but I think it brought up something we need to discuss. And Philip?" Amanda stated.

"I know, I know, don't call him names," Philip rolled his eyes.

"As I was saying… you may have heard... " Amanda began again.

"Yeah, yeah, we heard Dad and Carrie having sex…" Jamie said, trying to rush this part of the conversation along.

"Well, I just want you to understand that it is perfectly natural for two loving adults to… have those moments…" Amanda began to blush. She wasn't sure what else she needed to say.

"Mom, can I ask you a question?" Philip asked, shoveling ice cream in his mouth.

"Sure, sweetheart, what is it?" Amanda replied, hoping the conversation was almost over.

"If Lee moves in here, and when you get married, can you guys be a little quieter than Dad was?" Philip asked, his mouth full of ice cream.

Lee immediately covered his eyes, not having any idea what to say. Amanda blushed, her face and neck bright red. Dotty just laughed, seeing their discomfort. Deciding she may have to be the voice of reason, Dotty spoke up. "Boys, it's perfectly normal for your mother and Lee to want to show their love for each other in certain ways. When you're much older, you'll understand exactly what that means. But I'm sure when they do have those moments, they will do their best to keep it discretionary," she said.

"Thank you, Mother," Amanda replied, not knowing what else to say. Deciding to change topics, she said, "Boys, Lee and I have talked about a few things and we agree it would be important for him to stay here, maybe, a few nights a week to get used to how our daily routines are. And well, maybe, once we get married he can move in here or we can possibly start looking for a new place to live… a bigger place… where we won't be so cramped."

"So are you staying tonight Lee? I mean, tomorrow is Monday and well, you and Mom both have to go to work and Philip and I have school," Jamie said thoughtfully.

Lee blew out the breath he was holding, "If you don't have a problem with me spending the night here, I was thinking it would make tomorrow morning easier on your mother and I. We have an important meeting at nine o'clock with our boss so we could just go together in my car."

"I think you should stay. Mondays are crazy in our house. If that doesn't scare you away, nothing will," Philip said as he finished off his ice cream.

"If we looked for a new house, would that mean we would have to change schools?" Jamie asked, hesitantly.

"No, not necessarily, we might be able to find something around here that would fit everyone, although I had asked your mom about Rockville but I realized that's over an hour away from here and your friends. I'd like to find a place we can keep horses maybe," Lee said.

"Sweetheart, we talked about the horses," Amanda began.

"Horses? We can get horses? Mom barely lets us have fish!" Jamie said excitedly.

"We will talk about the horses… for now, you boys need to head upstairs and brush your teeth to get ready for bed. Tomorrow's a school day. If Lee is spending the night…. Wait, are you spending the night?" Amanda turned to Lee.

"I have a bag in the car," Lee smiled, his dimples deep.

Amanda smiled, nodding, said, "Then you're spending the night."


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

As the boys headed upstairs to brush their teeth, and get changed for bed, Lee headed out to his car. First, he pulled it into the driveway behind Amanda's Wrangler, then he took his overnight bag and suit bag with him in the house, this time through the back door. Dotty winked at Amanda as Lee walked toward the stairs.  _Mother! Stop!_ Amanda mouthed at her. Dotty just waved her hands in the air as she turned toward the sink to wash the coffee cups and ice cream bowls. "I'm going to go make some room in my closet for Lee. I'll be back in a few minutes, Mother," Amanda said as she walked toward the stairs.

"Don't rush back on my account," Dotty called after her.

Amanda just shook her head as she made her way up the stairs. Passing the hall bathroom, she noticed the boys were not brushing their teeth. "Boys? I thought you were…" Amanda started as she turned toward their bedroom. The door was open just a crack but she could see the two of them sitting side by side on Philip's bed. She started to open the door but stopped when she heard them talking.

"And did you see how happy Mom was when they got home today?" Jamie said to Philip, unaware that Amanda was listening.

"Yeah, I'm glad Lee finally asked her. I was beginning to think it was another Dean all over again. You know, get to know us, then take off," Philip replied.

"You know it wasn't like that. Mom never looked at Dean the way she looks at Lee. I'm glad, you know. I never liked Dean, but I couldn't tell Mom that," Jamie admitted to his brother.

"Aw, he was okay. Boring but okay," Philip said as he patted Jamie's shoulder.

"Do you think…?" Jamie started and then stopped.

"What? Spit it out," Philip said as he got off the bed. He pulled his shirt off, tossed it in the direction of his laundry basket, and then grabbed his pajama shirt from off his bed.

"No, it's dumb…" Jamie shook his head.

Philip rolled his eyes at his brother then said, "What? What do you think is dumb?"

Jamie unbuttoned his shirt, the stopped and asked, "Do you think Mom and Lee will want to have more kids? You know, their own… like we're Mom and Dad's…"

"I know what you mean, Wormbrain. I'm not stupid. And so what if they do. It's not like Mom's gonna love us any less," Philip scolded his brother.

Amanda grinned, but began to feel guilty she was eavesdropping on their conversation. She stepped backward then loudly cleared her throat before knocking on the door. "Boys? You ready for bed? Brush your teeth?" she asked cheerfully.

"Yeah Mom," they replied in unison.

"Come give me a kiss before bed then. You're not too old to give your Mom a kiss right?" Amanda asked as she put her arms out for her boys. Embracing both of them she said, "You guys have a good night's sleep. I'll see you in the morning. Now don't forget, it's a school morning. Are you gonna set your alarm or do you need me to wake you?"

"I'll set the alarm, Mom," Jamie said as he released her.

"And pick those dirty clothes off the floor. You have a basket in here for a reason - try to use it, please," Amanda said firmly as she motioned toward the shirt on the floor.

Philip rolled his eyes again as he bent over to pick up the shirt and tossed it into the basket. "Happy?" he said sarcastically.

Amanda pursed her lips and raised an eyebrow at her son. He put his head down whispering "Sorry."

"Good night, boys," Amanda said as she closed the door behind her. She found Lee standing in her bedroom, taking clothes out of his bag, laying them on the bed. "Here, let me clear some space in the closet for you to hang your things." She stepped into the room, partially closing the door behind her.

"Thanks. This is so... I don't know… surreal, I guess you could say. I have only dreamed about the day we could actually do this," Lee said, looking around the room.

"Do what, sweetheart?" Amanda stood at the closet, moving clothes from one rod to another.

Lee stepped behind her, his suit in his hand. Hanging the suit on the rod, he put his arms around her. "Spend the night, here, together. My clothes in your closet instead of just yours in mine," he said. He kissed her gently, holding her close. They both jumped when the door was pushed opened and instinctively they separated.

"Mom? Lee? I'm sorry; I didn't interrupt anything, did I?" Jamie asked, looking at the floor.

"No, not at all, Jamie. What's up?" Lee was the first to answer.

"I just wanted to say goodnight. I only said goodnight to Mom," Jamie said, still looking at the floor.

Lee walked around the bed over to where Jamie was standing in the doorway. "Goodnight, Chief," he said as he pulled him in for a hug. Feeling Jamie hug him back, Lee smiled as he looked at Amanda. "Get some rest. You have school tomorrow."

"I will, thanks Lee. Night, Mom," Jamie let go of Lee and walked back toward his room.

Amanda had come behind Lee to watch Jamie. "I think he's come a long way," she said.

"Yeah," Lee smiled, still looking down the hall.

"And so have you, sweetheart," Amanda put her arms around his waist.

Lee didn't know what to say, so in typical Lee fashion, he tried to change the subject, "Hey, why don't I finish putting these few things away, and then go down and help your mother with those dishes."

"Sweetheart, why don't we get changed for bed, it's getting late and we have to be up early to get the boys ready to school," Amanda reminded him.

"Oh, yeah… if you think so," Lee was suddenly very nervous. Moving his bag off the bed, he put his shaving kit in the bathroom. Taking out a T shirt and pajama pants, Lee looked around as if trying to decide where to get changed.

Amanda could sense his nervousness. It was unusual for him, so to put him at ease she said, "You can have the bathroom first. I'll close the door and change in here. The boys know to knock if the door is closed. That's always been the rule. If it's open, even just a little bit, they don't have to knock but if it's closed… well, you get the idea."

"Ok, ok, I get it. Thanks. I'll, um, I'll get changed…. in the bathroom," Lee sidestepped toward the bathroom carrying his clothes. Once the door was closed, Amanda just shook her head and whispered, "What is he so nervous about?" She changed into a pale pink cotton nightgown that came down to her knee.

When Lee opened the bathroom door, he looked around for a moment, trying to decide where to put his suit. "Dry cleaning goes on the chair, regular laundry in the basket," Amanda said smiling. Lee smiled back, sorting the items in his hand accordingly. "Would you go downstairs and get me a glass of water?" Amanda asked.

"A glass of water? From downstairs?" Lee repeated.

"Yes, sweetheart, a glass of water from the jug in the fridge, please," Amanda said.

"You want me to go downstairs, dressed like this? Isn't your mother still awake?" Lee asked nervously.

"There's nothing wrong with the way you're dressed. If you're uncomfortable, wear your robe. You did bring it, didn't you?" Amanda was having fun teasing him.

"No, I didn't bring my robe. I didn't think I would need it. I'll go… get that glass of water for you," Lee said as he opened the door and padded down the hall and down the stairs. Turning into the kitchen, he hesitated when he saw Dotty sitting in the den reading. Hoping she wouldn't hear him, he quietly got a glass out of the strainer. The fridge door squeaked when he opened it, making him cringe at the sound.

"Amanda? Is that you? That was awful fast. I didn't expect you to be down here that quick…" Dotty exclaimed.

"No, Dotty. It's not Amanda. She asked me to get her a glass of water," Lee said as he poured.

Dotty turned to face him, "Sorry, Lee. Is that what you're wearing to bed?"

Lee looked down at his shirt and pajama pants. "Yeah, is there something wrong with it?" he asked uncomfortably.

Dotty shook her head and said, "No, no, it just wasn't what I was expecting that's all."

"Oh, well, okay, goodnight Dotty," Lee said as he moved toward the stairs.

"Goodnight, Lee. Sleep tight," Dotty called after him.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Back in the bedroom, Amanda was sitting on the bed, setting the alarm clock. Lee handed Amanda the glass then walked around to the other side of the bed. Climbing in, he settled down on the pillow, waiting for Amanda to lay down. Turning off the light, Amanda first closed the door, leaving it open just a few inches before climbing into bed beside Lee. She kissed him lightly on his cheek, "Good night, sweetheart," she said softly as she snuggled down on his chest.

Lee put his arm around her, pulling her close. "Good night, Amanda," he said as he closed his eyes. For most of the night they slept curled up in each other's arms.

Lee woke when the sunlight filtered through the window. He glanced over at the clock and saw it was over an hour before the alarm was set to go off. Carefully getting out of bed, he went into the bathroom, closing the door gently behind him. He returned to bed a few minutes later, trying not to wake Amanda. "Where'd you go?" Amanda murmured.

"Just to take care of some morning business. Go back to sleep," Lee whispered, snuggling back against her.

"What time is it?" Amanda murmured again.

"A little after five. We still have almost an hour before the alarm," Lee whispered again.

Amanda bit her bottom lip. "Or we have almost an hour before anyone else in the house is awake," she said wrapping her arms around him.

"Or we have that, too," Lee kissed her.

"Let me take care of some…. morning business myself," she said as she climbed out of bed, closing and locking the bedroom door first before moving to the bathroom. A few minutes later she returned, sliding into bed beside Lee.

They didn't waste any time, their hands and mouths quickly finding familiar sensitive places. Bodies entwined, hands held tight, they peaked together. As they lay willing their heart rates and breathing to slow down, they heard the boys' alarm clock. Lee groaned, "Just five more minutes would have been perfect."

"Time to rally the troops. You shower first, I'll get coffee and breakfast started," Amanda said as she kissed him before rolling off the bed, slipping her nightgown back on and getting her robe.

Lee headed into the bathroom thinking  _she might make me a morning person after all._ He showered quickly, dressing in his suit for work before heading toward the stairs. He stopped by the boys' room to check to see how they were doing. Knocking on the door, he pushed the door open. "You boys almost ready?" he asked.

Jamie was already pulling his shoes on, Philip still sitting on the edge of his bed in his pajamas. "Morning, Lee, I'm ready. Philip's still moving slow but I smell the bacon Mom's cooking so that should make him move," he replied.

"Bacon? Oh, yeah, I'm there," Philip said as he pulled his shirt off. "Morning, Lee. Can you tell Mom I'll be down in a minute? And make sure Junior over here doesn't eat it all."

"Will do, Chief, but if you don't move a little faster you'll miss the bus and we can't have that," Lee stated. "See you downstairs."

In the kitchen Amanda already had a stack of pancakes waiting as well as bacon and fresh fruit, a steaming cup of coffee for Lee and juice poured for the boys. Dotty was sitting at the breakfast nook, sipping her coffee, smiling. "Good morning, Lee. Sleep well?" she asked.

Taking his coffee and the newspaper Amanda handed him, he sat beside her. "Good morning, Dotty, I did. Probably one of the best night's sleep I've had in a long time," he answered honestly.

Amanda couldn't help but smile. "Were the boys ready?" she asked, confident she knew the answer.

"Jamie should be down soon, Philip was getting dressed," Lee confirmed. As if on cue, Jamie was running down the stairs, Philip on his heels.

"Good morning, Mom. Good morning, Grandma. Bacon!" Philip was the first to speak as he piled a plate. Jamie followed his lead without saying a word. As the boys ate, Lee sipped his coffee and immediately turned to the real estate section of the paper, not missed by Dotty.

Amanda sat beside Lee, thinking what a perfect morning this was, her family finally under one roof together. "Sweetheart, I'm going to get ready for work. Can you make the boys lunches for them?" Amanda asked.  _First test….school lunches,_ she thought.

Dropping the paper, Lee answered, "Um, yeah, no problem." He stood in the kitchen, looking lost for a second then got the bread and began making sandwiches. In the fridge he found several different deli meats so he asked "Do you boys want bologna, ham or turkey?"

Philip chewed a piece of bacon as he thought, then said, "Bologna and ham with mustard and lettuce."

Jamie answered at the same time, "Turkey with mayonnaise, please."

Lee nodded, processing quickly each boy's request. Once the sandwiches were made, he dropped in a piece of fruit and a few cookies Dotty had made. He handed each boy five dollars, "In case you want to buy another snack at school," he said.

Dotty just watched in fascination, intrigued by the man. Here he was, jumping in with both feet without batting an eye and in her opinion doing a pretty decent job. She looked at the clock and announced, "Boys the bus is going to be here any minute. You need to move."

Like a whirlwind, dishes were placed in the sink without being asked, backpacks were grabbed, "I love you, Mom, Bye Grandma, Bye Lee," was yelled as they ran out the door. Lee immediately started washing the dishes as he waited for Amanda.

"You can leave those, Lee. I'll take care of them," Dotty said gently.

"Are you sure? I want to make sure I'm doing my part to help out, too," Lee said.

"I'm sure. Go see what's taking Amanda so long," Dotty pushed him out of the kitchen.

Amanda was on her way down the stairs laughing. "I'm ready, I'm ready. We have that meeting this morning, so let's go. Goodbye, Mother," she said.

"Will you both be home for dinner tonight?" Dotty asked.

Amanda looked at Lee, eyebrow raised. "I think so, I'd like to have dinner here with the boys," Lee said.

"Philip has basketball practice until 5 and Jamie has photography club, too. Dinner at 6:30?" Dotty asked.

"Dinner at 6:30. Thank you, Dotty," Lee nodded. "Let's go. This should be an interesting meeting. Don't forget the book. Francine is going to need proof."

Outside, as they climbed into Lee's car, Amanda laughed as she said, "She's still not going to believe it."

They drove to the Agency, chatting about how smoothly the morning went and what the boys' schedule looked like for the next few days. Lee still refused to tell Amanda what he was going to teach the boys to make for dinner the following night.

Mrs. Marston greeted them at the entrance. "It's nice to see you both looking so rested after your long weekend," the older woman said after handing them their badges.

Lee smiled and said, "It was the perfect weekend, Mrs. Marston."

In the elevator, Amanda slipped her hand in Lee's. "You ready for this?" she asked.

"No, but I'm done hiding it," Lee replied simply.

Stepping off the elevator, still hand in hand, they walked toward Billy's office.


	15. Chapter 15

As they walked into the bullpen, Amanda and Lee were still hand in hand. A few of the agents stopped and watched them. One of the girls from the Steno pool leaned over and began whispering to another agent that had just hung up the phone. Focused on where they were going, Lee and Amanda didn't notice anyone's reaction.

In his office, Billy was sitting at his desk, sipping his coffee, his donut still untouched. He watched Amanda and Lee walk into the bullpen, holding hands and smiled. In Amanda's hand, she held a book which immediately peaked his curiosity. Glancing to the left, he could see Francine watching them also. He could see the flash of emotions across her face - confusion, anger, hurt - before she plastered on a smile and followed them toward Billy's office door.

"Well, well, well… if it isn't the happy couple…. Did you have a nice weekend?" she asked sarcastically as she opened Billy's door.

"Good morning Scarecrow, Amanda," Billy said cheerfully.

"Good morning, Sir, Francine," Amanda answered, ignoring Francine's comment.

'To answer your question, Francine, we had a most productive weekend, wouldn't you say Amanda?" Lee stated, grinning.

"Productive you say? Well, I heard about your little trip to Virginia Beach. It's amazing how much trouble you two managed to get into on your little getaway," Francine sneered.

"Trouble? I don't think we got into any trouble," Amanda replied looking at Billy.

"No, Amanda, you did exactly what I asked you to do, and more. Scarecrow, Crypto went over everything you sent about the Coreforce list. We have agents out right now picking up a few suspects still remaining. That list answered a lot of questions we've had over the years. Good job, you two," Billy smiled, nodding as he spoke.

"Well, we can't take all the credit. Harry gave us the key to the safe deposit box. Without the key we never would have found the microfiche hidden in those buttons. What's going to happen to Tsipkin and his buddy?" Lee asked.

"The locals are handling it, mostly for the kidnapping and drugging of Lauren," Billy informed them.

"And Lauren?" Amanda immediately worried about her and little Charlie.

"Actually, Harry called me this morning and asked if Lauren could meet with Dr. Pfaff, here. They should be here this afternoon. He didn't trust the boys in Virginia Beach to handle it," Billy stated. He could see the relief on Amanda's face. "Now, Scarecrow, you requested this meeting. I'm assuming it doesn't have anything to do with Harry, Lauren or the Coreforce List by the way you entered the bullpen this morning."

Amanda looked at Lee, confused. What had they done differently this morning? Then it dawned on her… they usually stopped holding hands in the elevator but this morning, they were still holding hands as they entered Billy's office. She looked back at Billy, trying to avoid eye contact with Francine as she did.

Francine narrowed her eyes at Lee and Amanda. What had happened over the weekend? The last conversation she had with Amanda, Amanda told her they broke up. What had changed? The last few months they seemed distant from each other at work, barely handling cases together, especially after Amanda's accident in California and the weeks following as she healed. Francine had thought maybe the housewife turned spy had gotten scared and was finally coming to her senses. Although Amanda had grown tremendously in the last few years, maybe she wasn't cut out to be a Field Agent after all. But seeing them relaxed, holding hands… now Francine wasn't so sure.

"No, this meeting has nothing to do with any of that. It has to do with Amanda and me. We finally realized what's really important in our lives," Lee said, looking at Billy.

"And what would that be, Scarecrow?" Francine shot at them. She didn't like how this was going.

"Well, Francine, I finally came to my senses. I realized how much family means to me - Amanda, her boys, even Dotty." Lee looked from Francine to Billy, squeezed Amanda's hand as he said, "So, clear your calendar on October third because Amanda and I are getting married."

"Just like that? You're risking your whole career to marry Amanda? You know Dr. Smyth isn't going to like this," Francine was furious. They had lied to her for months.  _So much for friendship_ , she thought.

"Congratulations to the both of you. It's about time if you ask me," Billy rose and walked around his desk to hug them both.

"Francine, I know... I know I wasn't completely honest with you about my relationship with Lee but," Amanda started but Francine cut her off.

"Not completely honest? Not completely honest? Amanda, you outright lied to me," Francine seethed.

"Well, no, technically I didn't. I just told you I took care of it. You decided what came next," Amanda pointed out.

Francine began to open her mouth to say something then stopped. Thinking back, she realized Amanda was right, she never actually said she broke up with Lee. "I… you…. Hmmmm," Francine sighed. Looking at Lee, then Amanda, she understood. Lee looked happy, relaxed and Amanda was practically glowing. Francine knew she was wrong. "Lee, Amanda… I'm sorry. That was wrong of me. I'm happy you finally figured it out. I wish Jonathan and I did but…" Francine said, almost sadly.

Lee walked over to her, hugging his friend. "Francine, you don't know how many times I wanted to tell you how I felt about Amanda but I couldn't. It hurt me knowing I couldn't tell you. You're one of my closest friends and hiding that from you...I don't want to hide anything anymore. I'm done hiding," Lee admitted. Looking at Billy, he said, "And I don't know what this means as far as Amanda and I being partners but I'm not living my life tiptoeing around anymore. I want… no, I NEED to be able to have a life, outside this agency and the only one I want that with is Amanda."

"Oh, Sweetheart," Amanda said inadvertently, tears in her eyes.

"Well, that wasn't what I was expecting this morning, Scarecrow, but it's news that's been too long in coming," Billy declared.

"That it has," Lee nodded in agreement. "Amanda, why don't you show Billy and Francine the book."

"The book? Oh, the book. Yes, well, Lee had a photographer take pictures," Amanda said.

Francine laughed, "That's generally what a photographer does, Amanda. Takes pictures. What did this photographer take pictures of?"

"See for yourself," Lee stated, grinning, dimples deep. Amanda handed Francine the book as she bit her bottom lip nervously.

Francine leaned against Billy's desk so they could see the pictures together. As she flipped the pages she couldn't believe what she was seeing. "Well, Scarecrow, when you set out to do something, you definitely do it right," Francine said.

Billy couldn't help but laugh heartily when he saw the image of the wave crashing over them. "Scarecrow, does this mean you're all washed up now? A family man?" he teased.

"A family man, yes. Washed up? Not on your life," Lee laughed at his friend.

At that moment, Amanda had a thought. She hadn't talked to Lee about this so she hoped he wouldn't be too surprised. "Francine, I know you're probably mad at me, at us right now. And I know we haven't had the best relationship, but um… would you be my maid of honor? It's only going to be a small service but it would mean an awful lot to me if you'd be there, beside us," Amanda rambled.

"You too, Billy. You're probably my best friend next to Francine and Amanda. It wouldn't be right without you up there with us too," Lee added, happy Amanda brought it up.

Francine's mouth dropped open, "Amanda, are you sure? You don't have any other friends you'd rather have?"

"Francine, my friends don't understand me like you do," Amanda said.

"Amanda. I don't understand you. But you are my friend so yes, I will be your maid of honor," Francine put her arms around Amanda much to everyone's surprise.

"Billy?" Lee looked at Billy, hoping he would say yes too.

"You even have to ask?" Billy laughed. Lee stretched his hand out, then pulled Billy in to hug him, clapping him on the back.

Because they were all celebrating, no one noticed when the door opened and Dr. Smyth stepped inside. "Well, children, what's the party about? I don't believe I was extended an invitation to the festivities this morning," he said, puffing away on his cigarette.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Lee stopped hugging Billy as soon as he heard Dr. Smyth's voice. Billy was the first to address his boss. "Dr. Smyth, what brings you to my office this morning?" he asked.

"I heard Scarecrow and Mrs. King have returned from their little sojourn in Virginia Beach and wanted to congratulate them," Dr. Smyth said slyly.

Amanda looked nervous, asking "Congratulate us? For what, Sir?"

"Why the Coreforce List of course, unless there is some other cause for celebration I have yet to be informed about, hmmm?" Dr. Smyth commented as he looked at everyone.

Amanda and Lee made eye contact. Amanda raised an eyebrow, as if asking Lee if they should tell Dr. Smyth right then. Lee inhaled and then blew out loudly. "Actually, there is. Amanda and I are getting married," he stated.

"Married? Scarecrow and Mrs. King tying the proverbial knot? Plight one's troth so to speak? Jump the broom?" Dr. Smyth rattled off the obscure euphemisms with ease, his facial expression unchanged.

Amanda nodded slowly, trying to gauge his reaction, "Yes, sir, October third."

"Why so soon, is there a little Scarecrow on the way I should know about?" Dr. Smyth insinuated.

"No, no Sir, no… little scarecrow. Just us finally doing something we should have done a long time ago," Lee stammered.

"Well then, will I be receiving an invitation to this momentous occasion?" Dr. Smyth questioned.

Lee pursed his lips together, trying to decide what the best answer would be, "Most likely, Amanda and I haven't had much time to go over the guest list and we haven't told her family everything we do so…" Lee began but Dr. Smyth interrupted him.

"Haven't told what, Scarecrow? That Mrs. King is a spy? That you're the great Scarecrow? That you deal with destruction and mayhem and enemy secrets on a daily basis?" Dr. Smyth questioned sarcastically.

"Oh no, sir, we told them we deal with secrets, just in a different way," Amanda smiled cheerfully as she answered him.

"Mrs. King, your honesty never ceases to astound me, although, from your own admission, your family is on the losing end of your righteousness," Dr. Smyth challenged.

Lee could see Amanda getting uncomfortable so he said, "Her family knows what they need to know, whatever is going to keep them safe. Isn't that what we do, keep everyone safe, our families included?"

"Ah, yes, Scarecrow, that is what we do. So now that Jack and Jill have gone up that hill to fetch your pail of water so to speak, are you going to come tumbling down? Is the Scarecrow going to go soft?" Dr. Smyth asked with a biting touch of venom in his voice.

"Soft? Why would I go soft?" Lee asked as he took two steps toward Dr. Smyth. Amanda put her hand on his chest to calm him.

"Well, well, well, children. I saw the writing on the wall with Elise Danton and now this. It appears we may have found a sensitive nerve. Mrs. King, please be sure to rein that in next time. After all, as the little woman, it's your job to…" Dr. Smyth started.

Amanda lost her temper, something she rarely did. "Dr. Smyth! I am not going to be the 'little woman' as you just put it. I will be his wife and as his wife I will not be reining in anything. It's not 'my job' again, as you put it. I will be Lee's partner and I will support him in what we do both here at work and at home," she snapped.

Francine took a few steps backward, away from the fray. She had never seen Amanda speak to anyone like that never mind her boss's boss. She sat down on the couch to watch.

Billy's head was bouncing back and forth as if he was watching a tennis match. He couldn't tell who was winning at the moment but if someone had asked him to bet on the winner, he would have said Amanda, hands down. He had never seen her like this.

"Ah, yes, your partner. There are rules you know about partners," Dr. Smyth stated mysteriously.

Lee knew they were bordering on insubordinate behavior but then again, he wasn't unfamiliar with it either. "And I'd like to see what rules state partners can't be married," he dared.

"I'll be sure to get that to you, post haste. Now, I have other business to attend to at the moment so this little sparring party will have to continue at a later date. Until then, enjoy your time together because your days as partners may be coming to an end. William, Francine," Dr. Smyth said dryly as he left the room.

Lee ran his hand through his hair nervously. "Billy, he can't… he can't do that… can he?" Lee asked.

"Calm down, Lee. I'm not sure. This is new territory we've entered. But for now, I want to say I couldn't be happier for the two of you and this has been too long in coming," Billy tried to bring back the happier mood from earlier. "I think we should celebrate at lunch today. How about lunch at the Cumberland, on me?"

"That would be lovely, Sir," Amanda said quietly, still seething over Dr. Smyth's comments.

"So it's decided then. Francine, be sure we have nothing outstanding this afternoon and we'll leave here around noon. Now, I believe we all have jobs to do, after all, that is what we get paid to do," Billy said, trying to get everyone in work mode.

"Yes, Sir, and thank you, Sir. Lee and I will get to work on…" Amanda stopped and remembered they didn't have to fill out any reports from the weekend. "What are we working on?" she asked.

Francine laughed, "I left a few things on Lee's desk this morning. Mostly background checks on the new recruits for Station One."

"Well then, we have some work to do," Lee stated, guiding Amanda toward the door. "Just call when you're ready to go to lunch." He placed his hand on her lower back as they walked across the bullpen toward the elevator. This time, he didn't miss the stares of the other agents. "Is there a problem?" he challenged the group watching them.

Francine had followed them out of Billy's office, Billy stood in the doorway. Before anyone could respond to Lee's question, it was Francine that piped up, "Get to work people, the country isn't going to protect itself. If you have a problem or feel the need to fuel the rumor mill, I dare you to come find me first because I'll set you all straight."

Amanda turned, smiled and winked at Francine as she caught her attention.

Billy scowled in the doorway as he watched faces turn away from Lee and Amanda, back to folders and paperwork. He closed his office door, smiling once no one could see. "It's about time, Scarecrow, it's about time," he said as he sat back at his desk to finally eat his donut.

In the elevator, Amanda held Lee's hand in hers, trying to calm him. She had been watching the muscle in his jaw flex since Dr. Smyth had walked in the room. "Sweetheart," she said softly.

Lee closed his eyes and sighed. "I know, I know. That man is such a…" Lee said between gritted teeth.

"Lee, we can't let him get to us," Amanda said as she rubbed his hand with her thumb.

"You're right. Hey, Billy and Francine are happy for us, right?" Lee said.

"You're not upset about me asking Francine to be my maid of honor, are you? I know we didn't talk about that stuff yet," Amanda said nervously.

"I think that was a perfect idea. Tell you what, tonight, after dinner, let's go over that guest list with your mom and see who we need to add," Lee suggested.

The elevator door opened into the Georgetown lobby, where Mrs. Marston sat smiling. "Congratulations, Scarecrow, Mrs. King. Mr. Melrose just informed me," the older woman said warmly.

Amanda blushed but replied, "Thank you, Mrs. Marston. News travels fast."

"Good news is always welcome here," Mrs. Marston replied.

Together, Lee and Amanda headed up the stairs to their office in the Q Bureau. Sure enough, there was a small stack of files on Lee's desk, just like Francine had said.

"Why don't I take half of those. I don't have a class with Beamon today but I do think Leatherneck wants to see me at the shooting range," Amanda suggested.

"That sounds like a plan," Lee said as he handed her a few files. "Coffee?"

Amanda nodded as she replied, "Coffee."


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

The next few hours were productive in the Q Bureau. Between the two of them, they cleared nine of the twelve applicants easily. Just before noon, Billy and Francine arrived at the door. "Ready to celebrate?" Billy asked warmly. Together they exited the building. Lee and Amanda followed Billy and Francine to the Cumberland.

Lunch was course after course of delicious food and fun conversation. At one point, Billy asked Lee how Charlie was which of course peaked Francine's interest. She didn't believe Lee was capable of handling an infant but laughed wholeheartedly when Amanda recounted the story of Lee and the midnight diaper change. She thought Billy was going to choke on his pasta when she explained the first stinky diaper and how Lee disappeared almost immediately.

"Well, Scarecrow, I guess we finally found your Kryptonite," Billy laughed.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, keep laughing. I would have liked to have seen you the first few times with Jeannie and your girls. And you, Francine, you would have taken one look at him and hightailed it back to DC," Lee teased right back. "I at least stepped up and helped where I could."

Amanda couldn't help but tease one last time and said, "And he did a great job, Francine, even when Charlie drooled down his hand. He didn't even flinch."

Lee tilted his head at her, but smiled, dimples deep. She raised an eyebrow back at him, challenging him for a comeback. Instead he just laughed.

They returned to the Agency just before 1:30. Amanda had a message waiting at Mrs. Marston's desk from Leatherneck. "I better go down there now so I don't get tied up later," she said to Lee as they separated.

Lee headed up the stairs to the Q Bureau to look over a few outstanding files. He wanted to get everything put away so they could leave on time and be home for dinner with the boys.  _Home for dinner… it has a nice ring to it,_ he thought, closing the door behind him. Lee had barely had time to open the first file when Mrs. Marston called him, informing him he was needed in the Georgetown foyer. As he hung up the phone, Lee furrowed his brow, wondering why. Shrugging his shoulder, he left the office, locking the door behind him.

Lee jogged down the stairs to find Harry, Lauren and Charlie waiting for him. Mrs. Marston was playing with Charlie's hand. "What a sweet boy he is," she exclaimed.

"Harry! I heard you were coming by this afternoon. Didn't think I'd see you though," Lee reached out a hand to shake with Harry. "How are you doing, Lauren?" he asked warmly.

Lauren smiled nervously. "Mr. Stetson, hi. I'm... I'm okay. Harry invited us here to talk to one of the doctors on staff here. He, um, he said they could help. I've been feeling... overwhelmed I guess... by everything that happened. Scared," she admitted. Charlie began fussing a little, so she gently bounced him on her hip, shushing him at the same time.

"Lee, is Amanda here? Christina was supposed to meet us here and take Charlie but she woke up not feeling well this morning and we didn't think it was a good idea for her to be around the baby," Harry explained.

"Amanda just went downstairs to the range," Lee said, "But I'll tell you what - I'm not super busy right now, I can take Charlie until she gets back."

Harry looked at Lee and said, "Are you sure? If you're busy... we can reschedule..."

Lee stretched his hands out toward the baby. "I'm sure. Really. I was just getting caught up on a few things but nothing with a deadline. I'll take him for a walk with me then we'll be upstairs in the Q Bureau. You remember where that is, don't you, Harry?" Lee teased his mentor.

"Thank you very much, Mr. Stetson. I don't know how to thank you again for everything you did for us," Lauren said as she handed Charlie over to Lee. She picked up the diaper bag and held it out for Lee to take also.

"Mrs. Marston, I'm headed downstairs for a few minutes. How about I take Lauren and Harry with me? And if you wouldn't mind, could I leave Charlie's bag here until I get back? It won't be long," Lee flashed his dimpled smile at the older woman who was now smiling back at him.

"How can I say no to that face, Scarecrow? And I'm talking about the baby, not yours," Mrs. Marston said as she waved visitors' passes at Harry and Lauren. "Sorry Harry, you need to update your security clearance."

Harry took the passes, clipping them on both him and Lauren. "Follow me," Lee said, opening the door and ducking under the bar. Lauren paused, not sure what to do. "It's okay, completely safe," Lee explained. Harry followed, Lauren one step behind.

"Is this... where you..." Lauren wasn't sure what she was asking. The elevator stopped, the doors in front of her sliding open. Dr. Pfaff was waiting for them on the other side.

"Harry, this must be Lauren. Thanks, Scarecrow, I'll take them from here. Will you be in your office in about two hours?" Dr. Pfaff asked.

"We should be. If Charlie needs his mom for anything I'll call down," Lee remarked.

"Well, Charlie looks like he's in good hands if you ask me," Dr. Pfaff commented, surprised to see Lee comfortable with the baby.

"Charlie and I are just going to go visit Billy and Francine, then head back upstairs. See you in a few hours," Lee stepped back into the elevator and pushed the button.

As Lee and Charlie stepped off the elevator, Lee was attempting to extricate his tie from Charlie's hands and mouth. Francine was standing in the hall, her mouth hanging open. "What?" Lee asked, knowing exactly what she was staring at. Casually he strolled down the hall toward the bullpen, Francine now in tow. "Watch this, Charlie, this is how you make an entrance," Lee said quietly to the baby snuggled against his hip.

As the doors opened, Lee and Charlie stepped into the bullpen. You could have heard a pin drop as they made their way across the floor to Billy's office, Francine still following. Knocking lightly, Lee waited. "It's open," Billy called from his desk. Opening the door, Lee stepped inside. As he began to close the door, a pink heeled foot stopped him as Francine pushed her way inside.

"Well who is this?" Billy asked, surprised, as he rose to move around his desk.

"This is Charlie," Lee said, almost proudly. "Charlie, this is Mr. Melrose and that lady over there that is still staring at you, is Francine," Lee teased.

"So that is Charlie?" Francine finally spoke. "And you're holding him?" She still couldn't believe her eyes.

"Yes Francine, this is Charlie and actually I'm watching him while his Mom and Grandpa meet with Dr. Pfaff. Isn't that right, Charlie?" Lee bounced the baby a little. Charlie had taken hold of Lee's tie again, gently pulling on it.

Billy touched the baby's back, "Hey, Charlie, don't ruin that tie. I'm sure that one was expensive and Lee isn't used to that... yet anyway."

"Very funny, Billy. Actually it's not that expensive. And baby drool comes out in the wash... I think," Lee responded sarcastically.

"Well, Scarecrow, I've seen it all now. First you come here to tell us you're getting married. Then you show us a photo album of one of the most romantic proposals ever and now you're carrying a baby around the office like it's completely normal," Francine said as she threw her hands up in the air.

"It is normal, Francine. Something normal people do," Lee stated.

"But Lee, you're not normal. Amanda? Amanda's normal. You're... you're..." Francine said firmly, but found herself at a loss for words.

Lee narrowed his eyes. Pursing his lips he said, "I'm what?"

Francine inhaled then stated, "You're the Scarecrow." With that, she turned on her heel and left Billy's office.

Lee moved to the doorway, yelling out into the bullpen, "What the hell is that supposed to mean?" He turned back toward Billy who was now leaning on the edge of his desk. "What the hell does that mean?" Lee asked again.

Billy crossed his arms and thought for a moment before saying, "I think that means Francine is confused. Give her time, she'll figure it out."

"Confused? About what?" Lee said, not realizing his voice was getting louder until Charlie started to cry. Looking down at the infant, Lee moved him to his shoulder, "I'm sorry, Chief, that was too loud. You're okay. It's going to be okay." He patted his back for a few seconds, bouncing him gently to calm him.

Billy watched Lee, almost as surprised as Francine but he knew deep down, Lee would make a great dad one day. Watching him now, all he could think was when.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Amanda found Lee and Charlie sitting at Lee's desk two hours later. Charlie was sound asleep, his head on Lee's shoulder, his bottom supported by the crook of Lee's elbow as he thumbed through the last file in his pile.

"Sweetheart, I didn't know Charlie was up here. I would have come back sooner," Amanda said as she crossed the room to stand beside Lee's desk.

"No, he's been fine, fell asleep a few minutes after we got here. I've been able to get a lot done since I was forced to stay in the chair," Lee laughed.

"What time should Lauren and Harry be done with Dr. Pfaff?" Amanda asked as she rubbed Charlie's back gently.

"Do you want to take him? My arm is starting to fall asleep. I think this is worse than handcuffs," Lee complained as Amanda slid her hands between them and transferred the baby to her shoulder. Lee flexed his arm a few times to get the circulation moving again. "Thanks. For a little guy, he gets heavy. Lauren and Harry should be done any minute now. I was waiting for a call to go get them."

Just as Lee finished, a knock at the door got their attention. Amanda, now carrying Charlie, walked over to open it. Francine stood in the hall with Harry and Lauren. "Not you, too!" Francine exclaimed, throwing her hands up in the air. "That's it, I'm leaving."

Harry and Lauren, looking very confused just watched her stomp down the hall toward the stairs. The hall door slammed, causing everyone to jump. Amanda turned to look at Lee, trying to see if he knew what was going on. Lee stood, slipping his jacket on and said, "I'll go talk to her. Amanda, take my car home. I'll get a ride… or take a cab. I won't miss dinner."

Amanda couldn't say anything before Lee slipped into the hall and after Francine. Harry and Lauren entered the Q Bureau tentatively. Amanda just shook her head, not having any idea of what happened between Francine and Lee. "Lee said he's been asleep for a while but I'm not sure exactly what time he got up here," Amanda said as she passed Charlie to Lauren. Looking around, she spotted his diaper bag on the floor beside her desk. "Do you want me to bring you downstairs?" she asked.

Harry thanked her as they followed Amanda to the Georgetown Foyer. After they handed their badges to Mrs. Marston, Amanda asked, "Will you be coming back to see Dr. Pfaff again?"

Lauren nodded, and as she rubbed Charlie's back, she said, "Dr. Pfaff was very helpful. I'm even thinking of moving up this way. I have no other family in Virginia Beach and well, Harry's family. He shouldn't be denied his grandson. Not now."

"Well, you know if there's anything Lee and I can do… well, just ask," Amanda replied sweetly.

Harry put his hand on Lauren's back, guiding her toward the door. "Amanda, please tell Lee we said thank you. And I'll be in touch. I owe you both dinner," Harry waved as he closed the door behind them.

Amanda sighed loudly, turning to Mrs. Marston, she asked, "Did you see which direction Lee or Francine went by any chance?"

Mrs. Marston laughed, "Francine was on fire the way she moved out of here. Spouting off about needing to hit the bar at Nedlinger's, I believe. A stiff drink wasn't going to be enough or something of the sort. Scarecrow was only a few steps behind her. She was in such a tizzy, about what I don't know."

"Thank you, Mrs. Marston," Amanda said as she moved toward the elevator. She wanted to check in with Billy before she left. Lee had said to take his car and he would get a ride back to the house so she was going to trust him. She also knew Francine was one of his closest friends and if something was bothering her, he would get to the bottom of it.

She found Billy by the coffee pot in the bullpen. "Did Lauren and Harry find Lee? Dr. Pfaff brought them here to say hello and Francine offered to bring them up to the Q Bureau," Billy explained, sipping his coffee.

"They did, they just left. Sir, do you know why Francine is so upset? She took off and Lee's trying to catch her. Mrs. Marston thinks she overheard her say she was heading to Nedlinger's - does that make any sense to you?" Amanda rambled.

Billy took Amanda's arm and led her to his office. Closing the door behind them, he leaned against his desk. "I think Francine is feeling a little overwhelmed by the simple fact Lee's become an adult," he said.

"Sir? Lee's been an adult for…" Amanda said confused.

"I know he's been an adult for a very long time but he hasn't always behaved like one. On occasion his behavior rivaled little more than a frat boy with a gun. But that's not him anymore. He feels responsible for his actions and he is beginning to feel the same for a family. Do you know he was looking at houses back in January, right around the time he was injected with PD2? I think he's been thinking about marriage for a while now. But, like typical Scarecrow, he had to come to the conclusion on his own," Billy explained.

Amanda blushed, knowing how true that statement was. "Sir, do you think Francine's mad at us?" Amanda asked tentatively.

Billy put his coffee mug down on the desk then crossed his arms. "Mad is not the word I would use, Amanda. Foolish, imprudent maybe but not mad. I think a strong drink and a conversation with Lee will set her straight again. She's quite a woman, Francine is, and when she figures this out, she'll understand what Lee now knows should be important in life. Not just the job…" Billy trailed off.

Amanda stepped close to Billy and gave him a small hug, "Thank you, sir. I'm going to head home now, if you don't mind."

"Go on, Amanda. I'll stop by Nedlinger's soon to check on them but I have faith they will work this out. After all, look at you and Lee," Billy laughed, remembering how many times Lee complained about having to work with Amanda in the beginning of their partnership.

Amanda left Billy's office and headed back to the Q Bureau where she collected her purse and Lee's keys and drove home, hoping Lee and Francine would be able to come to terms with Lee's new life.

At Nedlinger's, Francine and Lee were sitting side by side at the bar sipping drinks. Francine had opted for Vodka, Lee ordered Scotch. Looking at Francine, Lee also ordered two tequila shots. Holding the small shot glass between his fingers, Lee said, "Do you remember that time, in Belize? You and I barely made it out but if it wasn't for that bottle of tequila…"

"The one you used to bribe the guards holding us or the one you used to smash that guerrilla that was hiding to shoot us?" Francine laughed sadly.

"Both. And what about the warm beer in the Sudan, huh? Wine in France? Ooohhh, the vodka in Japan, when we came across that cell of KGB outcasts," Lee recounted.

"What are you doing, Scarecrow? Reliving memories for old times' sake? Next you're going to want to start swapping recipes," Francine questioned him.

"Memories? Of the good times of you and me, yes. What about that vineyard in Northern California? The weekend we spent pretending to be the Count and Countess. What was better, the food, the wine or the secrets they were trading with the Cubans?" Lee tried again.

Francine sighed, sipping the vodka. She ran her fingers around the rim of the shot glass. "Lee, are you planning on giving up the Agency?" she asked point blank.

"Giving up the Agency? No. Francine, I'm not giving up anything. Okay, maybe I'll give up weekend trips to little tiny countries no one has heard of to pull out one of our guys that got caught with his hand in the cookie jar but the Agency?" Lee couldn't believe she had asked him that.

"Yeah but you're going to have dinner at six, basketball or what was it… oh Bomber baseball games… how are you going to be able to chase down the leader of a fascist regime and still play Daddy?" Francine was so cynical.

"Hey, does this have more to do with Amanda or my ability to do my job?" Lee turned and questioned her.

"You mean those two things aren't related? Come on, Lee, think about it, when was the last time you did anything remotely dangerous? It's been months. You haven't been reamed by Dr. Smyth for the chaos you usually cause since you two took off last year over Stemwinder, which by the way, you could have told me. I would have believed you. Instead you chose not to - you kept me out of the loop. I thought we were…" Francine's sermon faltered.

"Francine, you are probably the only other woman in my life I trust as much as Amanda. You've been there for me through some tough times in the past even after Amanda started at the Agency. You helped keep me sane, helped me grow just like Amanda has," Lee paused to sip his drink. "You've saved my life but I think Amanda saved my heart. You know it was Amanda who helped me finally grieve over my parents? She got it. And you've said it yourself, she has good instincts. Unconventional sometimes but good instincts. And I don't know what's going to happen to us. Dr. Smyth seems pretty confident we're going to get broken up and then what?" Lee spoke, holding Francine's hand as he did.

"So, you promise you're not going to leave me to keep Billy in line by myself?" Francine teased.

"No more than I'm going to ask you to cook Thanksgiving dinner," Lee quipped back.

"What are we going to do?" Francine laughed.

"We are going to finish our drinks, you're going to drive me to Amanda's house and you're going to stay for dinner tonight. I think you need a chance to see what I see," Lee stated.

"You want me to stay for dinner? At Amanda's? Her family isn't going to be upset over an unexpected guest?" Francine was skeptical.

"You don't really know Amanda's family," Lee said smiling. Throwing a few bills on the bar to pay for their drinks, the two friends departed Nedlinger's, heading toward Arlington.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

Amanda pulled into her driveway just as her mother was exiting the house. "Amanda? Why are you driving Lee's car?" Dotty asked.

"Lee had to help a friend out so I took his car home. Are you leaving?" Amanda asked.

"I was just going to go pick up Philip at practice. Jamie got a ride home from Mr. Holden after photography club. I just put a meatloaf in the oven for dinner with some baked potatoes… Lee does like meatloaf, doesn't he?" Dotty began to doubt her dinner choice.

"I'm sure meatloaf will be fine. Since I'm blocking you, I'll go get Philip, save you a trip," Amanda assured her.

"Then I can make dessert. Brownie sundaes or chocolate chip ice cream sandwiches?" Dotty suggested.

Amanda laughed, "Let Jamie make the decision. They both sound wonderful to me."

"Jamie's choice for dessert it is," Dotty said then turned to head back into the house. Turning around quickly, she waved her hand to stop Amanda as she backed out of the driveway, "Amanda! Before I forget, Joe called. He needs to talk to you about the ceremony. Said something about the boys and their roles, whatever that means."

Amanda closed her eyes, breathing deeply. "Thanks, Mother. I'll call him when I get back," she called out the window as she rolled down the street. "Their roles for the wedding…" she muttered softly.

A few minutes later, she pulled up in front of the gymnasium at Philip's school. He was standing outside with a few of the other players from the basketball team. The car windows were down so as she pulled up she heard one boy whistling, "Check out that sweetness. Wonder if she'd give me a ride?"

Philip threw an elbow in the boy's direction, "Check yourself, that's my Mom. And that's my… almost stepdad's car." He gathered up his bags and moved toward the car.

The boy leaned back against the bench they were sitting on, "Hey Mrs. King…. looking pretty fine today. Maybe next time you'll give me a ride in that sweet machine you have there?"

Amanda got out and lifted the tailgate so he could put his bag in the back. She could see Philip was angry over the boy's words. Stepping forward, she called over, "I'm sorry, what was your name again?"

"Jimmy. Jimmy Cardiman," he called back smiling.

"Jimmy. I'd love to give you a ride in the 'Vette but, you know, it belongs to my fiance and, well, he gets a little jealous sometimes. And I don't want to make him angry because… well… because he carries a gun most days for work and well…" Amanda stopped for dramatic effect when she saw Jimmy's face pale.

"That's okay, Mrs. King. I don't… I don't need a ride. I was just kidding. It is a really nice car though," Jimmy stuttered, trying to recover himself in front of his friends.

"I'll be sure to let him know when he gets home tonight," Amanda smiled sweetly as she climbed into the car beside Philip who was now staring at her wide-eyed. She pulled away from the curb and had driven almost a mile before Philip spoke.

"Mom?" he asked.

"Yes, sweetheart?" she replied watching the traffic as she tried to turn.

"Does Lee really carry a gun?" Philip asked hesitantly.

"Sometimes. We told you, with some parts of our job we have to meet contacts and we like to be protected when we do," Amanda explained, not realizing exactly what she was saying.

"Soooo does that mean sometimes you carry a gun?" he asked slowly.

Swallowing, it dawned on Amanda what she had said.  _We like to be protected._  Nodding, she began to explain, "Yes, Philip, sometimes I do. The gun is very small but honestly I almost never use it. I just have it with me in case I have to use it. I'll be honest, I'm not a very good shot."

"I can't believe my mom knows how to use a gun," Philip shook his head in disbelief.

"Philip, just because I know how to use one doesn't mean I like to. And this is another one of those things we can't really talk about much. It's a safety thing, you understand that right?" Amanda posed.

"Mom, I get it. I won't say anything to Junior either, or Grandma, I promise," Philip stated.

"Or your friends. This is serious, sweetheart, you can't tell your friends," Amanda glanced over at him while she navigated the streets of their neighborhood.

"Mom, I promise I won't say anything, okay. I'm not a baby. I know how to keep a secret," Philip hissed out, his temper flaring. Amanda pulled into the driveway and before she even turned the car off, Philip had thrown the door open, almost hitting the fence in the process. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, please don't tell Lee I did that. I don't want him to be mad at me…" Philip stuttered, unaware Lee and Francine had started to walk up the driveway.

"Don't want who to be mad at you? Philip, what's wrong?" Lee asked, seeing the expression on Philip's face.

Philip was in panic mode - he almost smacked the car door off the fence because he lost his temper with his mom and now Lee was questioning him. Thinking fast he replied, "One of the kids on the team. He was making comments about Mom when he saw your car, and he kept telling her he wanted her to give him a ride in this sweet machine of yours."

Lee squinted his eyes as he watched Philip very carefully close the car door and wait until Amanda opened the hatch for him to get his backpack out. Something in his nervousness wasn't sitting right with Lee. Amanda put her hand on Philip's shoulder, she said lightly,"Go on inside and take a quick shower. Dinner should be ready in about 40 minutes." She turned toward Francine and Lee who was sitting against the back bumper of her Jeep.

Lee crossed his arms as he said, "Was someone giving Philip a hard time at practice? He seems a little on edge." Francine turned her head to look at Lee, surprised.

"No, I may have said something that upset him," Amanda admitted. She leaned to the side to see if Philip had gone inside then leaning back she said, "I told him we carry guns for work."

Lee nodded his head, "That would make sense. Learning something like that about his mom. I get it," Lee stated.

"Wait, why would that upset him? I don't understand. It's part of your job," Francine interjected. She really wanted to try to see things from Lee and Amanda's point of view.

"Well, we told them we do our best to stay out of danger. Now he knows we carry guns and guns are dangerous so that means our jobs are dangerous. He's still a boy and very innocent when it comes to these things," Amanda explained.

"Ah… that I understand. So how are you going to explain Billy and I?" Francine asked figuring out they didn't tell her family they were agents but her family had met both Billy and Francine as Federal Agents.

"I don't know yet. Amanda, I hope you don't mind but I invited Francine to dinner with us," Lee said.

"That's wonderful. Mother made dinner and dessert since I picked up Philip. Jamie got to decide between brownies sundaes or chocolate chip ice cream sandwiches," Amanda said.

"Tough decision. Which did he choose?" Francine smiled. She was thinking it didn't matter either way because it was chocolate.

"I'm not sure yet. We just got back. Come on in, I'll re-introduce you to my mother, only this time, as my friend," Amanda linked her arm in Francine's pulling her gently toward the back door, Lee just steps behind.

Inside Dotty was checking the potatoes and stirring the corn as everyone walked in. "Amanda? Dinner is almost ready. Lee! You are here. Oh, Jamie is going to be so excited. He brought home a new project from photography club he was hoping you could help him get started. And… you look familiar… have we met before?" Dotty pursed her lips as she studied Francine. "Wait… I remember… you had… a pet… chimpanzee was it?"

"Mrs. West, hi, I'm Francine Desmond, I work with Lee and Amanda at IFF," Francine extended her hand to Dotty.

"No… I've met you for …. I know… You were working with that, that, Federal Agent, Mr. Melrose," Dotty clapped her hands together before she pointed at Francine. "You're a Federal Agent."

"Yes, Mother, Francine is a Federal Agent, yes. But she's one of the agents that we work with at IFF. So is Mr. Melrose," Amanda said tentatively. She wasn't sure how Dotty was going to react to this news.

"Lee Stetson!" Dotty snapped his name.

"Yes, Dotty?" Lee cringed.

"You knew Mr. Melrose all along and you never said a word? When Harry needed help… you encouraged me to call him pretending you didn't really know him?" Dotty's voice was getting higher and louder as she spoke.

"Dotty, please, sit down, I need to explain this. Please?" Lee requested.

Dotty sat on one of the stools in the kitchen, crossing her arms, "Fine, I'm sitting, now start talking. And there better be a good explanation for all of this."


	20. Chapter 20

Lee took a deep breath before he started talking. Dotty sat across from him, her arms crossed, waiting. He had a feeling this was going to be the first of many conversations like this. Amanda watched as he prepared himself for what could be a Dotty interrogation. Francine watched with pure fascination. She had never seen Lee nervous to talk to anyone casually.

"Dotty, Amanda and I explained our… precarious… position in IFF. We work with Federal Agents more often than not because of the nature of our jobs. And to ensure their safety as well as our own, we have to… to pretend, I guess… we don't know them. In reality, I've known Francine and Billy for almost ten years. Billy was my first… contact… and Francine has helped me, and Amanda, on multiple projects," Lee said choosing his words carefully.

"Fine. I get your 'projects' keep you in contact with these people but you want me to believe you have to lie to your family and friends?" Dotty questioned waving her hand for effect, pursing her lips together when she was done.

"Dotty, I'm sorry, really I am. There are just times when parts of our job put us in contact with people that we have to pretend we don't know for safety sake. There's no disrespect intended, believe me. If we could tell you everything without compromising our jobs, we would," Lee said as he leaned his hands on the island, hanging his head.

"So what you're telling me is, I can expect more lying and deceiving in the future, then?" Dotty narrowed her eyes at him as she asked.

"Mother," Amanda interjected.

"Don't Mother me, Amanda Jean!" Dotty yelled, slapping her hand off the counter top. "I demand an answer. An HONEST answer."

Francine jumped at the sound of her hand. Watching her friends squirm was fun to a degree but Francine thought of something that might help. "Mrs. West? Can I… can I say something?" she asked tentatively.

"What? What can you possibly say that will answer whether or not my daughter and soon to be son in law are going to lie to me in the future?" Dotty demanded.

Stepping forward, Francine said, "Amanda and Lee have taken a vow to protect the citizens of our country, you and your grandsons included. Now, I know Amanda and I know how much it has hurt her to not be truthful with you all the time. I've seen her get upset because of it on more occasions than you could possibly imagine but I've also seen her save lives. Maybe, when the time comes, you'll understand if they're not telling you everything it's because they can't because someone's life may be at stake. What they do for IFF is so much more than just making documentaries and what they've done in the last few years is nothing short of amazing."

Dotty's face softened as she listened to Francine talk. She had no idea how important Lee and Amanda's job really were but she now understand it was much bigger than she thought. She looked at Lee's face, then Amanda's. She wasn't sure how to answer any of them yet.

"Mother? I know you're trying to understand everything all at once and there's a lot to it. When I first started working at IFF I can't tell you how many times I was overwhelmed with this stuff. But now, I know this is going to be hard, but Lee and I are very good at our jobs and if that means we can't talk about everything, then we can't talk about it. We will tell you what we can, but there are some things we just can't tell you," Amanda said as she moved closer to her mother.

"Amanda…. I just wish you told me in the beginning how important your job was. You used to tell me everything, then you started working at IFF and everything became a big secret. You rush out at all hours of the night, sometimes you don't come home for days and when you get home you have no real explanation. And you," Dotty pointed at Lee across the island, "you just showed up… I didn't know anything about you, yet last year my daughter took off with you. Now I know it was all about national secrets and I know I'll never know the real reason but how am I supposed to trust anyone if no one is willing to be honest with me, dammit!" Dotty cried as she slammed her hand on the counter again.

Lee lifted his head to look at Dotty. The look of anger and hurt on her face bothered him. "Dotty, I'll tell you anything you want about my life, although it isn't much. My parents were killed when I was five. I lived with my career military uncle all over the world in so many different bases I lost count. I went to college then ended up at IFF. I've been there for over ten years. I met Amanda a few years ago. We became good friends, working so close together. She understands the importance of what we do and I have to say, I've never met anyone like her. She sees things I miss, puts conclusions together I never would have seen. For example, a few months ago when she figured out how much floor wax the average house uses. Do you know, because of that, she actually figured out a company with a large government contract was actually keeping criminals on their books?" Lee explained hoping he could make Dotty understand.

"Floor wax? Criminals? Amanda?" Dotty was surprised. "But how?"

Francine laughed, "I ask myself the same thing every time she does it, Mrs. West. But Lee is right. She has a… knack… for seeing what no one else sees. A complete and total different point of view and she's very good at it."

Dotty looked around the room at the faces of everyone. She wanted to be angry, she wanted to be hurt but hearing Amanda was good at her job filled her with a sense of pride. Sighing, she turned to Amanda and put her arms around her. "Darling, I'm so proud of you and your job even if I don't know much about it," she said softly.

"Oh, Mother," Amanda replied, tears forming in her eyes. "I promise, from now on, Lee and I will try to tell you what we can. I can't say we can tell you everything but maybe now you understand a little better why."

"I guess that's all I can ask for?" Dotty asked.

Amanda hugged her back, then said, "I don't know about anyone else but dinner smells really good right, now. Mother, I hope you don't mind but Lee invited Francine to have dinner with us."

"Of course not, the more the merrier. I hope you like meatloaf," Dotty replied attempting to sound cheery.

"Meatloaf? I don't think I've ever had meatloaf, Mrs. West," Francine answered slowly.

"Well, if Dotty's meatloaf is half as good as Amanda's, you'll wonder what took you so long to try it," Lee complimented.

"Sweetheart, will you get the boys?" Amanda asked Lee. Turning to Francine she asked, "Francine, will you help set the table?"

"Um, sure." Francine answered, slightly uncomfortable.

Lee laughed at his friend. As he walked toward the steps, he said to Francine, "You're not a guest for very long in this house." Turning, he moved up the stairs without waiting for a reply from Francine.


	21. Chapter 21

Lee knocked on Philip and Jamie's bedroom door as he said, "Hey, fellas, dinner's just about ready."

Jamie put his homework down as he got off his bed. "Thanks, Lee. Did Grandma make the cookies too?" he asked as he moved across the hall to wash his hands.

Lee watched him but paused before answering. "I'm not sure, she might have," he answered trying to remember if he saw anything on the counter. Jamie headed down the stairs but Philip remained sitting on his bed. "Philip, is something bothering you?" Lee asked.

Philip shrugged his shoulders, and said quietly, "I don't know, maybe. No."

"Well, is it yes or no? I might be able to help if I knew what it was. Does this have anything to do with your friend on the basketball team and what happened after school?" Lee asked, trying to find out what might be bothering him without making it sound like an interrogation.

"Kind of, I guess. Lee, my mom told me something in the car. If I ask you something, will you be straight with me?" Philip asked, making full eye contact with Lee.

"Of course, your mom and I already said we will tell you guys what we can. Does this have to do with our jobs?" Lee asked. Amanda had already told Philip they carried guns but was there something more?.

Philip took a deep breath then asked quietly, "Do you carry a gun?"

Lee nodded as he answered "Yes, most days when I am working, I do. Some days I carry a small gun called a Ruger. Other days it might be a Glock. It kind of depends on where I need to be working and who I'm going to be around."

Philip swallowed hard. "Do you have one on you now?" he asked.

Lee wasn't sure what he should do but deciding honesty was going to be the best route, he stood up and took off his suit jacket. Philip's eyes widened when he saw the shoulder harness Lee was wearing and the Glock tucked neatly against his ribs.

"Which one is that one?" Philip asked as he pointed to the gun.

Slipping his arms out of the harness, Lee held the gun in his hand and explained, "This one is the Glock. It's a 9mm handgun with a 10 plus 1 clip."

"Does my mom use one like that?" Philip asked, almost afraid what the answer might be.

"No, she uses a small gun, made more for a woman's smaller hands. And even then, only when absolutely necessary. She doesn't like using one, believe me," Lee explained.

Philip looked at the gun in Lee's hand once more time before standing up. "I'm gonna go wash up for dinner before Jamie eats it all," he said with no further explanation, walking out of the room.

Lee just stood there, trying to figure out if there was something else that needed to be said. He heard Philip run down the stairs and decided to put his jacket and gun harness in Amanda's room for safe keeping. He hung both on a hanger in her closet, concealing the harness with the jacket, and headed back down to the kitchen where the rest of the family and Francine were waiting for him. Amanda raised an eyebrow but said nothing. Lee mouthed back,  _Later._ Amanda just nodded slightly. Francine caught the entire exchange but showed no reaction. She figured it was either private or something Lee would tell her later if she asked.

Dinner conversation was pretty light. Jamie told Lee about the new photography project - they had to document everywhere they went using just black and white photographs and no people for the next three weeks. Lee asked Philip about basketball practice and the new coach. Francine was pretty quiet, just listening to their exchanges. Dotty was also quiet, completely out of character for her. Amanda asked the boys about their homework and as usual, Jamie had everything under control whereas Philip could barely remember what needed to be done.

"Mrs. West, I must say, I never thought meatloaf even remotely sounded palatable but this…. Can I get the recipe?" Francine asked smiling.

"Mother can do one better, I'll bet. Mother, can you make a few of the smaller loaves, like we did for that nice elderly man at church… what was his name?" Amanda tried to draw her mother into the conversation.

"Mr. Brook? Oh, I've forgotten all about him. I think he passed away, didn't he?" Dotty said sadly.

"He might have. He wasn't doing well that time you made the mini loaves for him. Oh, but he loved your meatloaf. With a baked potato I think he said when we went to visit him," Amanda reminded her mother.

"He did, didn't he? Ms. Desmond, if you'd like, yes, I can make some for you to take home with you. The recipe's pretty simple but if Amanda suggested…" Dotty began quietly, without her usual enthusiasm.

"Francine, please. And Amanda knows… I'm not the best chef around. As a matter of fact, I even tried taking cooking lessons and well, a few people got hurt because of that," Francine began but stopped when she saw the look on Lee's face.

Amanda began to laugh to try to cover up Francine's almost slip, "Mother, what Francine means, is she cooked for a few people at the office and they got very, very sick."

Dotty looked at Francine's face and began to laugh. "I'm sorry, Ms. Desm… Francine. I shouldn't laugh but the that idea you made people sick from your cooking… well… how about some dessert? Jamie chose chocolate chip cookie ice cream sandwiches," she said smiling.

Philip piped up, "Do we still have chocolate ice cream left?"

"Did you say chocolate ice cream?" Francine asked, biting her lip. Lee looked at Francine and grinned, knowing how much she loved chocolate.

"I think so. Chocolate and pistachio. Take your pick," Amanda said as she stood and started clearing the table. Lee joined her without being asked.

"Thank you, Lee, you don't have to do that," Dotty said, as she put her hand on his arm.

"No, I do. Not only did you cook dinner, you did the dishes this morning, I'll load the dishes tonight so you can relax," Lee said, taking Philip and Jamie's dishes with him as well.

Amanda brought the container of the fresh baked cookies and the ice cream to the table as Lee rinsed the dishes and loaded the dishwasher, returning to the table before everyone finished.

"We saved you one," Philip said, his mouth full.

"Nah, that's ok, Chief, you can have it," Lee smiled at him.

Philip looked at Amanda. "Can I?" he asked.

"No, not tonight. When you get home from school tomorrow maybe. And if you ask nicely, maybe Grandma will make more cookies so you can both have one," Amanda replied.

"Are we still cooking tomorrow night, Lee?" Jamie asked.

"Of course. How about I pick you two up from school so we can go to the market and get everything we need?" Lee suggested.

"You're cooking tomorrow night?" Francine asked, incredulously.

"Yup, Lee said he's going to teach us to cook something. The last time Philip cooked...well… it was all right but I'd like to make something that doesn't make my head spin," Jamie said, smiling at his brother.

"We decided on family dinner night. The boys don't have practice or anything so it will be a good night to cook for Amanda and Dotty," Lee explained. "So tomorrow, right after school. Amanda, can we trade cars in the afternoon?"

"Of course. You can't fit three in your car," Amanda answered.

"You're not going to ride together tomorrow morning?" Jamie asked a little confused.

"I can't stay tonight, Chief. I have a few things at my apartment I need to take care of but I'll see you after school," Lee stated although spending another night in Amanda's arms and in her bed sounded more appealing than his cold empty apartment.

"Oh, I just thought… well, tomorrow will be good. Then you can stay tomorrow night," Jamie said sadly.

"Sweetheart, it's not going to be long before Lee is here every night, remember," Amanda reminded her son.

"I know, I just… it was nice this morning… and dinner tonight… even with Ms. Desmond… I don't know… it just feels so much like a complete family now," Jamie answered playing with his napkin.

Amanda had a feeling she knew where Jamie was going with this and decided this wasn't the time with Francine there to get into it so she changed the subject by saying, "All right, Fellas, homework time. I'll be up in a little bit to check on you but let's get it done at a reasonable hour."

Lee stood and said, "I should probably get going too. I'll walk Francine to her car. Dotty, thank you for a delicious dinner. I'm looking forward to many more of those. Boys, I'll see you tomorrow after school." He walked over to Philip and Jamie and gave them each a short hug. Stopping at Dotty's chair, he leaned down to kiss her cheek, surprising her. Standing, he walked over to Amanda and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close to him for a hug and light kiss. "I'll call you in a bit," he said quietly. "Francine?" he said, gesturing toward the back door.

"Thank you again, Mrs. West for dinner. I hope we can do this again," Francine said, smiling at Dotty. "Amanda, I'll see you in the morning. I believe we have a joint meeting about that new documentary on the importance of Soviet relations and education," she said hoping Amanda understood there was a new assignment for them.

"Oh, yes, I saw the introduction earlier today. I'm looking forward to it," Amanda replied.

Lee waved to everyone as he guided Francine outside. Once they were at her car he asked, "Is this about that Russian exchange student that is missing? I think I saw something on my desk before I left."

"Yes, the Embassy seems to think Mikhail Rodin ran away but Billy thinks there is more to it. It came down late this afternoon so Billy said to let it sit until the morning," Francine explained. She stopped talking for a minute then said, "Lee, I owe you an apology, big time."

"For what?" Lee asked. He wasn't sure exactly what she was talking about.

"Earlier. I didn't think … this… was you. Family… the suburbs… but I was wrong. Amanda and her family… they are exactly what you need now," Francine admitted.

"Coming from you, that's saying a lot, Francine. Thank you," Lee said before he hugged his friend. "Drive safe, I'll see you tomorrow morning. I have to run back inside. I left my jacket inside," he said remembering his jacket and his gun were still hanging in Amanda's closet.

He watched Francine drive off before heading back inside the house. He knocked on the door first before opening it, surprising Dotty. "I forgot my jacket," he said as he smiled at her. He jogged up the stairs and retrieved the shoulder harness and his jacket. Using his jacket to hide the harness so Dotty didn't see it, he walked back down the stairs. "Good night, Dotty," Lee smiled as he left.


	22. Chapter 22

Amanda waited an hour to call Lee to find out what had happened with Philip. Lee explained Philip had asked about the gun and went into detail about how he showed him the harness but then Philip dropped the subject as soon as he got his answer. Amanda didn't like it but knew her son, if he needed more answers, he would ask the questions. They ended their conversation with too many I miss yous, I love yous and I can't wait to see you. They both went to bed, unhappy to be apart but happy knowing it wasn't going to be for much longer.

Tuesday morning dawned with the usual flurry of activity in Amanda's house, only this morning the only thing on the boys' mind was Lee picking them up after school.

"I haven't seen the boys this excited since they found out we were taking them camping a few years back," Amanda commented to Dotty as the boys ran to catch their bus.

Dotty was sitting in the kitchen sipping her coffee. "Amanda, can we talk, before you go rushing off to work that is," she said.

Amanda walked into the kitchen. "Of course, Mother. Is something wrong?" she asked.

"No, not really. I just wanted to talk to you about last night. I was just taken by surprise and Ms. Desmond is really very nice. I feel like I owe you an apology," Dotty began to speak.

"Mother, you don't owe me an apology. I feel like I owe you one for all those times I couldn't tell you everything," Amanda said as she hugged Dotty.

"Now that things are out in the open, is there anything I should know about? Any other surprises?" Dotty asked raising an eyebrow.

"Surprises? I don't think so. But I do want to tell you, I asked Francine to be my maid of honor and well, Lee asked Billy, Mr. Melrose, to be his best man. I mean, I know we just want a small ceremony but we thought it would nice to have them stand with us, you know," Amanda said sweetly, hoping her mother wasn't going to get upset.

Dotty took a deep breath and said, "Mr. Melrose is Lee's best man? And you asked Ms. Desmond…"

"Francine," Amanda interrupted.

"Francine then, to be your maid of honor?" Dotty practically dragged each word out.

"Yes, Mother," Amanda said.

"Anything else?" Dotty questioned, throwing her hands up in the air.

"Mother?" Amanda asked.

"Yes, Amanda?" Dotty sounded slightly annoyed.

Amanda smiled as she said, "I love you, Mother."

Dotty smiled back as she answered, "I love you too, darling. Do you think while the boys and Lee make dinner tonight maybe we can go over the guest list for your wedding?"

"How about we do it over a glass of wine as the boys cook with Lee?" Amanda suggested.

"I like the way you think, Amanda!" Dotty declared.

"Now, I need to get going, Mother. Lee is going to pick up the boys from school but I should be home right around 4:30," Amanda reminded her as she put her coat on and headed out the door.

At the agency, Amanda and Lee attended the morning meeting where the main topic was the missing Russian student, Mikhail Rodin. Billy looked around the room as he decided who he wanted to assign the case to. He knew Amanda and Lee were his best team but there were enough good agents that could handle it as well. He opted on a newer partner pair, McKinley and Cook.

After the meeting, Lee headed up to the Q Bureau as Amanda headed to the shooting range. She didn't have the heart to tell Lee she didn't pass the test again the day before and Leatherneck was giving her another chance.

A few hours later, Amanda met Lee in their office with a smile on her face. Lee looked up as she walked in the door. "Why are you so happy right now?" he asked as he stood up from his desk.

"Because, not only did I pass Leatherneck's long range shooting range test, I got my first bulls eye kill shot," Amanda said excitedly as she pulled the target paper from behind her back.

Lee laughed loudly, as he pulled her close to hug her. "I'm so proud of you. I know this wasn't easy for you. Long range is tough, I remember I had a tough time passing it myself" he said, kissing her lightly on the tip of her nose.

Amanda leaned her head back to look at him. "That's all I get for my first bulls eye?" she teased.

"Well, I'd suggest we head …" Lee began but Dr. Smyth interrupted him as he barged into the office with Billy steps behind.

"Are you heading up that hill or down, Jack, because if this type of behavior continues, it will be more than just your crown that will be broken," Dr. Smyth said sarcastically.

Stepping apart from each other, Lee and Amanda looked at Dr. Smyth, expecting him to say something else. Amanda was still holding her target paper which Dr. Smyth finally noticed. "Ah, Jill, I see you've finally learned to hit the target. Best keep that skill up before you come tumbling down with Jack here," he sneered again.

Lee had finally heard enough. "What are you talking about?" he snapped.

"I told you earlier, Scarecrow, your days as partners were numbered. I have found the section in the Agency manual just as I promised. The manual states 'partners should not carry on personal relationships outside of the Agency'. It's all there in black and white. Read it and weep, children," Dr. Smyth said as he tossed the book toward Lee.

Lee scanned the page quickly but the anger that was building was already clouding his mind. He looked at Billy and yelled, "I don't believe this!"

Dr. Smyth stood, lighting his cigarette, looking smug as Billy tried to calm Lee down, "Scarecrow, take a deep breath. You and Amanda will still be able to work…"

"Uh uh uh uh, Billy boy, if you were going to suggest they could still work here in the Q Bureau, you are sorely mistaken. Their partnership in its entirety will be dissolved soon enough," Dr. Smyth said smugly as he puffed away.

Amanda had been listening, processing what Dr. Smyth had said. She kept repeating the words over and over in her mind before she finally spoke. "Lee, can I see that book?" she asked. Taking the book from Lee, she asked, "Dr. Smyth, what section was that again?"

"Chapter seven, section twelve, subsection three. What exactly are you looking for, Mrs. King?" Dr. Smyth bit down on the cigarette holder as he spoke.

Flipping through the pages, Amanda found the section he was referring to easily. Sitting down on the couch, with everyone now staring at her, she flipped back a few pages, scanning each one. Finally she looked up at the three pairs of eyes staring at her. Standing, she walked over to Dr. Smyth and said smiling, "Sir, I believe you are mistaken. It does not say we can't work work together."

Dr, Smyth took the cigarette from his mouth, staring at her. "And what exactly did you read Mrs. King because I know what I saw in black and white?"

Amanda smiled at Lee as she started to read, "The Agency and all its part advises partners SHOULD not form personal relationships outside of Agency business. Such relationships COULD be seen as detrimental to the integrity of the partnership."

Lee was still staring at Amanda. He couldn't figure out why she was smiling. After a few long seconds Billy began smiling also. "What? What am I missing?" he asked, which set Billy laughing. "Amanda, are you going to explain this?"

Amanda stood, handing the book back to Dr. Smyth as she remarked, "Lee, you forgot I have a degree in American Lit which means I spent a lot of time understanding context and meaning. Dr. Smyth, I think if you reread that section again as well as the sections before and after, you'll find it doesn't say we CAN'T be partners. It says we should not form relationships because they could be detrimental. It does not say we can't form relationship because they are detrimental. And I think, in our case, our relationship has done nothing but make our partnership stronger and more effective."

Dr. Smyth stood there looking like a gaping fish, trying to come up with a snarky remark but was unable to respond. Finally, he looked around the room and said, "Well, well, well, Mrs. King, I didn't think you had it in you but now I see the writing on the wall. You are just as devious and deceitful as anyone else in this building."

Amanda began to respond but Billy answered first, "I assure you, Dr. Smyth, Amanda is not devious and deceitful. She's just not as jaded as the rest of us and still sees things clearly."

"Thank you, sir," Amanda replied to Billy. Lee was still trying to figure out what just happened.

"And, I think we've taken up too much of your time," Billy said as he turned to leave. "Dr. Smyth?" he asked as he held the door open.

"This isn't over, not by a longshot," Dr. Smyth pointed his cigarette at Billy as he walked past them.

Billy watched him walk down the hall toward the stairs before he turned back to Amanda and Lee. "Nice job, Amanda. I wouldn't have caught that no matter how many times I read it. You know he's going to be on the war path so I'd watch yourselves. A little more discretion maybe or simply, lock this door," Billy said.

"Yes, Sir. Will do Sir, and thank you, Sir," Amanda said as Billy closed the door.

"Amanda? What just happened?" Lee asked still confused.

"What just happened? Well, sweetheart, Dr. Smyth doesn't understand the English language as well as he thought and Billy told us to lock the door," Amanda summarized for him.

"And we can still be partners?" Lee confirmed.

"Yes, we can still be partners. So, partner, let's get some lunch. I'm starving," Amanda replied smiling.


	23. Chapter 23

To avoid another confrontation with Dr. Smyth, Lee and Amanda headed to a local restaurant for a quick lunch. As hard as Amanda tried, Lee would not tell her what recipe he was going to teach the boys that night. He was enjoying teasing her, giving her all kinds of clues that meant nothing or could have meant everything. Laughing, they headed back to the Agency to check in with Billy for the afternoon. Billy had nothing more for Lee to do, allowing him to leave early. He asked Amanda to stay and help Francine sort out the files for morning meeting on Wednesday.

Amanda stopped at the Q Bureau to give Lee her keys before he left to pick up the boys from school. "I told Mother I would be home around 4:30 and over a glass of wine she and I can finalize our guest list for the wedding. Will you have time to write down anyone you want to invite? We need to decide where we're going to have it too before we can send out invitations," she said thoughtfully as she sat on the edge of Lee's desk.

"What about at Emelio's? They have a function room in the back, the food's good. Your mother liked it there," Lee suggested. "Or the Cumberland? I'm sure Billy has some pull there."

Amanda ran her hand up and down Lee's arm. "Hmm both places would be perfect although I have a feeling the Cumberland may be out of our budget," she said.

"Well, let me make a few phone calls and find out. But yes, I'll write out a list. There's not going to be very many names on it. My uncle, Barney, Gus of course…" Lee started then stopped, furrowing his brow, trying to think of anyone else.

"What about Beamon, Leatherneck?" Amanda suggested.

"Leatherneck, yes. Beamon… do we have to?" Lee asked rolling his eyes.

"Yes, we should. What about Jonathan? Do you think Francine would want him there?" Amanda asked tentatively.

"Well, Francine's invited so we will give her the option for a plus one. How's that?" Lee said thoughtfully.

"You've really thought about this, haven't you?" Amanda laughed lightly.

"On occasion," Lee teased. "No, really just for the last few days."

Amanda smiled at him before she leaned down to kiss his cheek. "I need to get back downstairs before Francine sends a search party for me. They boys should be out of school in about forty five minutes and you don't want to be late," she reminded him as she checked her watch. "See you at the house?"

"The boys aren't allergic to anything are they?" Lee suddenly asked, taking Amanda by surprise.

"Why? You aren't planning on making Japanese again, are you? I'm pretty sure the boys won't eat it even if they help make it," Amanda narrowed her eyes at him.

"No, no, although I did think about it. You will enjoy dinner, I promise. I just wanted to make sure I didn't have to avoid anything, that's all," Lee said nervously.

"Then, no, they have no food allergies. And don't let them con you into buying a bunch of junk food like the last time you took a teenage boy to the store," Amanda reminded him.

"When did I…" Lee started to ask.

"Alexie, remember, a years ago?" Amanda reminded him again.

"Amanda, that was before I knew better. Before I had you to teach me…." Lee started to tease her.

"Uh huh. Just remember, no junk food," she said as she headed for the door.

"What about dessert?" Lee said as he followed her.

"Ok, dessert, but that's it. No chips, no cookies and definitely no soda," Amanda shook her head.

Laughing, Lee locked the door behind them and together they walked down the stairs toward the Georgetown lobby. Lee gave Amanda a hug before walking out the door, leaving a smiling Mrs. Marston behind. Amanda blushed realizing they had an audience before she entered the elevator and rode it down to find Francine.

Lee drove Amanda's Jeep to Philip's school, parking on the street where he could easily see him. Climbing out, he leaned against the side of the car to wait. He watched as kids streamed out of the building from every door, chattering loudly. Philip exited the building with Jimmy Cardiman and another friend of his, Michael Walston. Seeing Lee, Philip waved. Jimmy poked him in the ribs, and asked "Who's that guy?" when Lee waved back.

"That's gonna be my step-dad," Philip said with a smile, "I'm out. We're making dinner tonight for my mom and Grandma. See you tomorrow." He took off, jogging toward the car.

Michael stopped walking when Jimmy stopped. Michael commented, "Dude, I wouldn't mess with his mom again if that's gonna be his step-dad. He looks like he could kick your…"

Jimmy slapped his chest to stop him and said, "Don't remind me."

"Hey, Lee. Jamie gets out in 15 minutes so I can show you the fastest way to get to his school," Philip said as he approached the car. Climbing into the front seat, he dropped his backpack at his feet and pulled his seatbelt on before Lee had even walked around the car. "Take a right out of the parking lot, then your second left," he said. Lee followed the remaining directions Philip gave him, arriving at the school with a few minutes to spare.

Jamie raced out of the building, spotting Lee and Philip almost immediately. He couldn't get in the car fast enough. "Hi, Lee, hey, Philip, are we going to the market now? What are we making for dinner? This isn't gonna be like Philips casserole surprise is it? I was thinking we should probably do a salad too, just in case they don't like what we make for dinner. And what about dessert?" Jamie started on an Amanda-like ramble causing Lee to laugh.

"Hey there, Chief, slow down. Yes, we're heading to the market, sure, we can make a salad too and I'm pretty sure your mom and grandmother will enjoy it. We are making lasagna. Homemade pasta, homemade sauce. What do you suggest for dessert? Something they will both like," Lee spelled out the details of dinner as he drove toward the market.

"How about chocolate cake? Mom loves the chocolate cake from that bakery on North Culpepper. You know, the German one… I always forget the name of it," Philip offered.

"Heiden… Heidel…. Something. I forget too," Jamie admitted.

"Heidelberg? I know right where that is," Lee stated.

"That's it!" both boys exclaimed together which set them laughing.

The first stop the trio made was at the bakery where the boys picked out a German chocolate cake for dessert. From there they headed to the market where they painstakingly choose all the ingredients needed for both the lasagna and the salad. Within an hour they were headed toward the house to start dinner. Arriving home, the boys ushered Dotty out of the kitchen as they brought the grocery bags in the house. Amanda arrived home a short time later and she too was banned from the kitchen.

Lee poured a glass of wine for both Dotty and Amanda, handed them the original guest list that was pinned on the fridge along with a short handwritten list he had made and led them both to the front living room. "Now stay," he gently commanded. Amanda and Dotty both laughed but sat down on the couch to start going over the list together while the sounds and smells from the kitchen indicated the evening was going to be a success.


	24. Chapter 24

Amanda and Dotty spent over an hour going over the guest list for the wedding again and again narrowing it down to just 40 people and even that seemed too many to Amanda. Dotty smiled happily as they then went through address books to write everything out once the list was finalized. Everyone Lee had written down was kept and Amanda's list was narrowed down to include only close family members and a few of Dotty's closest friends.

In the kitchen, the boys were fully engaged in the entire dinner making process with Lee. He taught them how to make fresh pasta from flour and egg and as the dough rested on the counter, he showed them how to make pasta sauce from scratch. As the sauce simmered, Lee showed them how to slice the vegetables evenly without cutting themselves in the process. Once everything was prepped, the boys boiled water to cook the noodles as Lee greased the bottom of the lasagna pan. Once the pasta was ready, the boys took turns creating the layers for the vegetable lasagna. With the lasagna in the oven, Lee and the boys chopped the vegetables for the salad; Philip mixed the dressing as Jamie tossed the salad. Just before the lasagna was set to come out of the oven, Lee showed the boys how to make garlic bread with fresh garlic, butter and shredded mozzarella cheese.

Amanda couldn't believe the sounds and smells coming from her kitchen. The boys were happily chatting away with Lee, no arguing, no fighting. They sounded as if they were completely engaged in every aspect of the meal preparation. She tried walking out to the kitchen but with a smile, Philip stopped her and pushed her back toward the living room before she could get a peek at what they were making.

Jamie set the table in the dining room as Lee pulled the lasagna out of the oven to set. Philip put the garlic bread in to warm before carrying the salad to the table. Lee walked into the living room to collect the wine glasses to refill for dinner as the boys brought glasses to the table. Jamie poured milk for him and Philip as Lee filled his own wine glass. Last but not least, the lasagna was placed on the table; Jamie brought Amanda and Dotty into the dining room.

"Everything smells wonderful. I can't wait to try this," Dotty commented.

Before sitting down, Lee served the lasagna as Jamie and Philip scooped salad into bowls.

"Boys, you made this?" Amanda couldn't believe her taste buds.

"Lee showed us what to do but we did it all. Sorry if some of the pasta is thicker than other parts. We took turns rolling it out but I think we could have done better," Philip apologized without criticizing his brother.

"It's perfect. Better than I could have done," Amanda admitted.

"Your Aunt Lillian made fresh pasta once; it was like one pile of mush on the plate and she swore she'd never try it again," Dotty stated before taking a bite of the lasagna. With her mouth full, she said, "Lee, I've never tasted anything this good."

Lee smiled and blushed, "Thanks, Dotty, but really, this was all the boys; I just instructed them. I demonstrated how to cut the vegetables and roll the dough but they finished everything. They did a great job too."

"And we got you your favorite dessert, Mom," Jamie piped up between bites.

"And what is that, Sweetheart?" Amanda asked, confused.

"I'll give you a hint. You love this bakery," Philip teased.

"You got German chocolate cake from Heidelberg's?" Amanda asked, eyes wide with excitement.

Lee smiled, dimples deep, "The boys said it was your favorite."

Amanda got up and walked around the table. She hugged Philip and Jamie first, kissing each of them on the cheek before moving to Lee. He stood, wrapped his arms around her before kissing her gently. Hugging her close, he whispered in her ear, "I love you."

Amanda whispered back, "And I love you too," before kissing him again. "Mother, if everyone is finished, why don't you and I clear the table and get some coffee started for dessert."

"Good idea," Dotty answered, as she stood, collecting plates to move to the kitchen counter.

Once Amanda and Dotty had left the room, Lee turned to Philip and Jamie and said, "I think dinner was a success, guys. You did a great job and I'm really proud of you both."

"Lee?" Jamie asked tentatively, "Are you staying tonight? For the night, I mean."

Lee nodded, answering, "As long as you both are comfortable with it, yes, I was planning to."

"Have you and Mom talked about if we're gonna move or not?" Jamie asked nervously.

"To be honest, your mom and I haven't had much time to talk about that," Lee explained.

"Haven't had much time to talk about what, Sweetheart?" Amanda asked as she walked in the room, carrying the cake, Dotty carrying plates and forks behind her.

Lee waited for them to sit before saying, "About whether or not we are going to move."

Dotty smiled and said, "Well, I'm sure whatever you both decide will be for everyone's best interest. Now who wants cake?"

Lee smiled at his mother-in-law thankful that she was changing the subject. He didn't really know what they were going to do yet and he didn't want to upset the boys by talking about plans they didn't know. "Amanda? Dotty? I bet that coffee is just about ready, I'll get it," he said.

A few minutes later, coffee and milk refills were on the table and everyone was digging into a slice of cake.

"Can we do this every Tuesday? I don't know about Junior but I had a lot of fun. And you're not pulling our leg when you said a little Italian grandmother taught you how to make this are you?" Philip added.

Laughing, Lee shook his head and explained, "No, I'm serious. When my uncle, the Colonel, was stationed in Italy, I was about fifteen. He knew the family and they invited us over for Sunday dinner. I was misbehaving as usual so as punishment, the Colonel sent me to the kitchen. Nonna was in the kitchen and she insisted I help her. The rest is history."

"Why would he send you to the kitchen for punishment?" Philip asked a little confused.

"On base, there wasn't much he could do for punishment. My room was always neat, bed always made to his specifications, clothes folded just right. So he would send me down to see Barney at the mess hall. Punishment was peeling potatoes most of the time," Lee explained.

"Lee, that's awful," Dotty said sadly.

"No, not really. Barney made for a great back-up Dad, I guess you could say. My uncle didn't always understand me but somehow Barney did," Lee said.

"Will we get to meet Barney?" Philip asked between bites.

"If he can come to the wedding, then yes, absolutely," Lee answered.

"Well, I for one can't eat another bite," Dotty declared. "Lee, you have outdone yourself tonight. I'm thinking a long hot bath is in order after this. Boys, I know you haven't done your homework yet so let's say we clear this table and give Lee and your mom some time together."

Without an argument, Dotty, Philip and Jamie cleared the table again before heading up the stairs. Lee and Amanda moved to the couch in the den, thankful for the chance to talk, alone.

"Well, I don't know how you did it," Amanda said lightly as she sat beside Lee, her legs swung over his.

"Did what?" Lee asked as he held her hands, gently toying with her engagement ring.

"This….an entire afternoon and dinner with no arguing from my boys, my mother completely happy and an amazing meal and now everyone is upstairs and we are here together," Amanda said softly.

Leaning forward, Lee brushed his lips lightly across hers. "I didn't do anything. They are your boys and good ones at that. I just kept them too busy to fight I guess. And your mother, well, I'm sure spending time with you working on the guest list helped. Speaking of which, what did you come up with?"

Before she could answer, the phone rang. Detangling their legs, Amanda called up the stairs, "I'll get it." Picking up the receiver she said, "Hello? Oh hi, Joe. Yes, sorry, Mother gave me the message yesterday and I forgot to call you back."

Lee could see Amanda immediately tense up as she rolled her eyes upward.

"Yes, Joe, I'll make sure the boys are at the church early for the rehearsal. You want them to do what? You want them to do readings during the ceremony? Have you asked them yet? I'm sure Jamie would be fine with that, but… Yes, Joe, I'll ask them for you. Right now? They just started their homework. I'll make sure they call you tomorrow. Yes, I'll talk to them…. You want to what? Philip has practice after school and Jamie has an orthodontist appointment at four. As soon as they are both home…. Yes… I will…. Please tell Carrie we said hello. Okay, bye bye," Amanda sighed heavily as she hung up the phone.

Lee got up and moved to stand beside her, "Everything ok with Joe?" he asked.

Amanda wrapped her arms around Lee, inhaled his scent and said, "Yes, but I don't want to talk about Joe right now. Let's go back where we were and talk about us some more."

Lee kissed the top of her head as he began to laugh.


	25. Chapter 25

Sitting back on the couch, legs entwined once again, Amanda and Lee just held hands as they sat, her head leaning against his shoulder. Neither heard Dotty come down the stairs until she loudly cleared her throat. "I'm not interrupting, am I?" Dotty asked tentatively.

"No, Mother. We're just sitting here, enjoying the quiet I guess," Amanda replied smiling.

"Who was that on the phone?" Dotty asked curiously.

Amanda answered her sharply, "Joe." Lee felt her body tense again. Lee rubbed her leg to try to calm her.

"Is everything okay with Joe?" Dotty asked. She felt Amanda was holding back something, she just didn't know what.

"Yes, everything is fine with Joe. Did you know he was having a full mass at the wedding, and he wants Philip and Jamie to do one of the readings? And do you know he hasn't even asked them yet?" Amanda turned her body to face her mother as she spoke, her voice creeping slightly higher with each word.

"Amanda, you know Joe. Carrie probably insisted on a mass and he gave in. Do you remember your wedding? Oh, I never thought it was going to end. What was the name of that priest? Father…." Dotty started.

"Father Michael, Mother," Amanda offered.

"That's it, Father Michael! And do you remember how he went on and on and on? Then he started rocking back and forth on the alter? Between you and me, I think he got into too much of that sacramental wine," Dotty laughed. "You're not planning to get married in a church are you, because if you are, we'll have to get on the phone right away. And a dress… Amanda, what are you going to wear... we'll need to go shopping…"

"Mother, you can stop. I was thinking a nice suit. I saw one at a little shop near Lee's apartment I'm going to pick up. And no, no church. Just a Justice of the Peace will be fine. We need to figure out where we are having the reception tomorrow so we can get those invitations made, addressed and in the mail. We don't have much time," Amanda relaxed as she explained. What she couldn't tell her was she had the suit she wore the first time they got married hanging in Lee's closet.

"I don't know why you're insisting on rushing this, Amanda. October third is only a little over a month away. Do you really think you can plan this whole thing in that short of time?" Dotty questioned her.

Amanda sighed loudly, "Yes, Mother, we can. There's not that much to do and we want October third. That day means a lot to us."

Dotty threw her hands in the air, "Well, if you insist, I guess we'll make it work. Amanda, darling, this is going to be a beautiful wedding no matter what." Dotty patted Amanda on the shoulder.

"Thank you, Mother. Tomorrow, Lee and I will figure out the location. Oh, I have an idea, and this is right up your alley, Mother. If I leave you my car, can you go get the invitations printed for us? I'll let you decide on the style and the wording," Amanda stopped and looked at Lee, "if that's all right with you, Sweetheart."

Lee rubbed her arms lightly with his hands. "Yes, that's fine with me. I'm not good at those kind of things anyway," he answered smiling, just a hint of his dimple showing.

"So it's decided then. Tomorrow we divide and conquer. You and Lee find a location and I'll have the invitations made. Wait, how am I going to know where the location is?" Dotty stopped, confused.

Lee untangled himself from Amanda and moved toward the phone. Looking at Amanda, he said, "May I?" as he picked up the receiver.

"Of course," she answered.

Lee dialed Billy's number and waited while it rang. Hearing Billy's gruff voice answer, Lee said, "Hey Billy, it's Scarecrow. Listen, Amanda and I were wondering… could we possibly rent out the ballroom at the Cumberland for our wedding?"

Immediately Billy burst out laughing so loudly Lee had to hold the phone away from his ear. Dotty mouthed to Amanda,  _Another reason I don't like the man_. Amanda just shook her head and gave her mother a disapproving look. Once Billy stopped laughing, Lee asked, "Does that mean no?"

Billy guffawed a few more times before he began coughing, sputtering to a stop. "I never expected you to ask that," he said between breaths.

Lee was getting annoyed and impatient, "Well… is that a yes or a no?"

"Let me make a few phone calls. I'll call you back. Are you…" Billy started to ask but Lee finished the question for him.

"I'm at Amanda's. Don't call too late, you'll wake the boys," Lee smiled at the thought.

"I'm really impressed, Scarecrow. I didn't see this coming. Not like this, not from you," Billy said. "Give me ten minutes, I'll have an answer for you, then you can have the rest of your night."

"Thanks, Billy," Lee said hanging up the phone. Amanda looked at him, wide eyed. "Billy said to give him ten minutes and he'll have an answer for us."

"Lee, the Cumberland? That's going to be awfully expensive isn't it? I mean, I've only heard about how beautiful the facilities are over there, I've never once been there. Amanda, really, don't you think that's going to be too expensive?" Dotty questioned.

"Mother, you don't know Mr. Melrose. I'm sure he has some connections there. It might not be that bad," Amanda said lightly.

"Actually, if I remember correctly, IFF now owns the Cumberland, part of a legal agreement a few years back. Remember, Amanda? We were working on that documentary about Dr. Tucker…." Lee recalled the assignment at the Cumberland where they played newlyweds.

"Oh yes, Dr. Tucker. I wonder if Mrs. Craddock ever fixed her glasses," Amanda said laughing remembering the nosy older woman.

"And the food… the food was delicious, although it wasn't as good as yesterday when we had lunch with Billy and Francine. We probably shouldn't have the lobster for dinner at the wedding," Lee teased.

"Wait a minute… you had lunch… at the Cumberland yesterday and you didn't tell me? Amanda?!" Dotty exclaimed.

"Oh, Mother, it wasn't a big deal. Billy wanted to treat us to celebrate. I didn't even enjoy it all that much. Lee's right, the lobster was a bit chewy," Amanda tried to downplay the meal when in reality the lobster was delicious, cooked to perfection.

"Amanda? You had lunch at the…" Dotty began again, trying to reprimand Amanda when the phone rang, cutting her off effectively.

Lee, still standing beside the phone, looked at Amanda as if questioning if it was fine if he picked it up. Amanda just looked at him, "Answer it."

"Hello?" Lee said almost awkwardly. "Billy, that was fast. Are you sure? Wow, really? You're sure… Oh, thanks man, I owe you one." Lee's voice was filled with excitement. Hanging up the phone, he turned to Amanda and Dotty and said, "Let's start planning a wedding! Not only do we have the ballroom but we have the entire property for the weekend. And Billy said we don't have to pay a single dime. His gift to us he said."

"Whhhatttt?" Amanda couldn't suppress the surprise.

"Uh huh," Lee said as he pulled Amanda close to him and spun her around, causing Dotty to laugh. Setting her feet on the floor, he forgot Dotty was standing there when he leaned down to kiss Amanda passionately.

Dotty looked away then cleared her throat when the kiss went on for almost a minute. "I'm going to head up to bed. You two… may want to wait for the boys to go to sleep before you … continue celebrating. I'll wear my earplugs just in case," she said as she winked at them walking up the steps.

Lee and Amanda finally separated long enough to realize what Dotty had said. Amanda blushed as she said, "I'll go check on the boys. Come to bed when you're ready."

Lee smiled at her, "I'll make sure everything is locked up down here." As Amanda climbed the stairs, Lee checked the windows and doors, making sure everything was locked before turning off the lights and heading up to Amanda's bedroom. Passing Dotty's room, her door was closed, although a light was still on. The boys were asleep, to his surprise and down the hall, Amanda was waiting for him. As he entered her bedroom, she closed and locked the door behind him before pulling him close to kiss him again, this time without an audience.

 

To Be Continued in "Let the Bells Chime"


End file.
